Mike Smith takes off 'Bird for Belmont
 

Smith takes off Mine That Bird for Belmont
By Jay Privman

http://www.drf.com/news/article/103872.html

Mike Smith, who rode Mine That Bird to a second-place finish in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, will not ride him in the June 6 Belmont Stakes, choosing instead to ride Madeo in the Grade 1 Whittingham Stakes at Hollywood Park that day.

Brad Pegram, Smith's agent, informed Chip Woolley, the trainer of Mine That Bird, on Monday morning. The decision opens the possibility that Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird to a victory in the Kentucky Derby before opting to ride the filly Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness, can get back on Mine That Bird for the Belmont, if Rachel Alexandra does not run.

"We made this commitment to Madeo before the Preakness, before the filly was sold and Calvin took off Mine That Bird to ride the filly and we got a chance to ride Mine That Bird in the Preakness," Pegram said Monday.

I guess he really is the Rodney Dangerfield of horse racing.

Mike or Mine That Bird?

I guess you could say both.

poor horse!! He runs so well and nobody wants to stay on him! ;)

Unless Gomez is getting the mount back on Dunkirk, the Belmont winner, I bet he is trying hard to ride Mine That Bird......as are about ten riders.

Honestly MTB hasn't had who I would regard as a top rider on him yet, Chantal, Lambert, Borel, Smith. If Wooley makes the right choice the horse is bound to get a jockey upgrade in the Belmont.

He really did run a huge race in the Preakness, completely shocking but nice to see that maybe he isn't the worst Derby winner evah...

He won the Kentucky Derby and ran 2nd in the Preakness to a supieror horse. I really don't know what you are expecting from a jockey upgrade.

They were good rides, it would be less than credible to even infer they weren't, however in the long run the chances of good rides with these 2 diminishes IMO.

If Rachel goes I'd like to see either Dominguez or Gomez on Mine That Bird.

NT

Dominguez for sure; GG would 'over power' him.

If they were smart like they were in the derby they would put up a local jock that knows the track and when to put the trigger. Why doesnt Rajiv get much press around here I think he would be a nice fit for the horse

You make it sound like guys like Gomez, Dominguez, Prado (whoever you are considering top tier jockeys) are incapable of giving a bum ride. Whoever gets him next probably won't have to worry about navigating around 12 or 18 other horses, the way Borel and Smith did. But reguardless, he seems to be a nice horse (I'll admit I was wrong and thought that he would be off the board at Pimlico) and reguardless who is on him I think he has a good shot in NY if he runs.

Dominguez and Gomez are Belmont regulars now and both excel, at least in my opinion, with horses coming from off the pace.

Rajiv Maragh is steadily improving but is not near the caliber of RD or GG.

NT

The top jocks are local to Belmont. Wooley will have no problem getting a top jock to ride.

Going out on a limb here but I bet the Moss's and Shirreffs told Mike he is riding the horse at HP.

I would like to see Borel back on... cool story to win the "Jockey Triple Crown" on two different horses.

Are you coupling that with the sun sets in the west exacta for $2.10?

I bet on this board I could have gotten even money.

Lumpkins is available for the mount on MTB in the Belmont.

Agreed,Big Time!Gomez would beat the sh.it out of him.

I have to get up off the floor from laughing so hard!!!:D :D :zz: Is he still at Mountaineer??

He's only ridden 14 so far this year .. they think he's Kenny Powers down there but he's just keeping himself fresh and primed for the big comeback.

Lumpkins? I remember him! Wasn't he always getting in trouble?

Where's his next comeback going to happen? Someplace even worse than MNR?

I'm waiting for him to make his triumphant return to Canterbury

People forget the greatness that was 'the Lumpy' back in the day.

7 straight years of profitability in route races from '96-to-'02..

'96: 45-for-226 ($2.38 ROI)
'97: 55-for-239 ($2.19 ROI)
'98: 56-for-232 ($2.31 ROI)
'99: 72-for-269 ($2.52 ROI)
'00: 67-for-314 ($2.16 ROI)
'01: 128-for-498 ($2.29 ROI)
'02: 134-for-530 ($2.09 ROI)

Combined 7 year total in routes from '96 through '02: 557-for-2,308 (24% wins) $2.25 ROI

He was actually profitable with all of his mounts in 2008 ... 35-for-247 with a $2.01 ROI

So even when he's in outer space he can still ride.

Gomez once went 23-for-53 with a $2.43 ROI at Sunland Park when he rode part of a meet in 2002.

That was before his great comeback. I assume he becomes the favorite to get the mount if RA goes in the Belmont ... if only for his Sunland connection.

I'd like to see Casey Lambert back on him...Since BTW thinks it doesn't matter.;)

after looking back and listening to bailey and stevens, ther wasnt another jockey that would have found the inside move that Borel made in the derby. Noone would have scraped the paint like Calvin. It gets old all this stuff about luck. He does this consistsntly, so it must be more than luck.

Speaking of Maragh, I still can't get the image out of my head of maybe 2 or 3years ago on Derby Day when I bet Al Basha in a comeback race I believe, and Rajiv Maragh is riding him, he suddenly spurts to a 3-length lead or so in midstretch, and I think I am home free, and then whoops, all of a sudden Maragh just falls off...

I think P. Val is available :)

You mean like he did to Scrappy T? Oh wait, that was Dominguez. :D

Riding at Belmont is alot different than riding at other tracks, being that it is a 1 1/2 oval. Regardless of what I believe, given that N.Y boasts a very deep Jockey colony I have no trouble asserting that Mine That Bird will not be hurt by Smith's departure. I see the obvious names have been mentioned already but you could name any of the top current 9 in the standings and you would probably gain something on the Jockey change. Borel is good at CD, but did anyone watch him at Oaklawn? Personally I would love to see Lezcano get the chance on the big stage, his style would suit MTB's preferred running style.

I would use the Mig - Richard Miglore

WHAT ARE YOU SMOKING ?

they ought to call edgar.

I remember that race,it got ugly real quick when he fell off.

Yeah, it's very un BTW like to say something like that so far in advance of race day.

You need a rider that can reach into his bag of tricks! Kent Desormeaux.