Mine That Bird arrives at Mountaineer

Mine That Bird arrived Friday afternoon at Mountaineer Park, where the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner is expected to make his next start Aug. 1 in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby. Mountaineer announced the arrival in a Friday press release.

Mine That Bird had vanned out of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., early that morning with trainer Chip Woolley driving the truck pulling the horse's trailer northeast to Chester, W.Va. in a 6 1/2-hour trip.

Woolley told Churchill officials before the trip that he probably would breeze Mine That Bird "a soft half-mile or five-eighths" on Monday at Mountaineer. Then, Woolley was quoted in Mountaineer's release, "We'll walk him on Tuesday and then gallop up to the race."

Entries for the 1 1/8-mile West Virginia Derby - which will serve as a prep for the gelding for the $1 million Shadwell Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 29 - will be taken and drawn Tuesday.

According to Mountaineer officials, Mine That Bird will be not only the first Kentucky Derby winner to race at Mountaineer, but the first winner of any Triple Crown event to race at any West Virginia track.