Mine That Bird

Breeding

Mine That Bird was born in Kentucky. His sire is Birdstone (winner of the 2004 Belmont Stakes), and his dam is Mining My Own. He is related to Northern Dancer from both of his parents and is related to Native Dancer and Mr. Prospector on his dam's side.

Racing career

Canadian trainer David Cotey purchased Mine That Bird for $9,500 from the 2007 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale. He and his partners raced the gelding at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, where he won four of six starts and was voted the 2008 Canadian Champion 2-yr-old Male Horse. Cotey nominated the horse for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and the Kentucky Derby. Chantal Sutherland rode him to victory in the Silver Deputy Stakes and the Swynford Stakes. After she and the horse won the Grey Stakes on October 11, 2008, the partnership accepted a $400,000 offer from the New Mexico partnership of Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine. His new owners turned the gelding over to U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. In the 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Mine That Bird finished last of the twelve starters.

Racing in the United States at age three for new trainer Chip Woolley, in his 2009 debut on February 28, Mine That Bird finished second in the Borderland Derby, and on March 29 had a fourth-place finish in the Sunland Derby. Based on his career earnings in graded stakes races, he qualified as one of the twenty Kentucky Derby starters. Woolley, who had a broken foot at the time and was in a cast, loaded Mine That Bird into a horse trailer attached to his pickup truck and drove over 1,200 miles (perhaps 1,700 miles) over 21 hours from New Mexico to get to the race.

2009 Kentucky Derby

Following overnight rain, the Churchill Downs natural dirt track was rated as "sloppy" for the 2009 Kentucky Derby. Ridden by Calvin Borel, Mine That Bird had trouble out of the starting gate and was left about eight lengths behind the rest of the field. By the time the pack of horses was running down the backstretch, Mine That Bird was so far back that NBC's announcer Tom Durkin at first missed seeing him.

Calvin Borel, using the ground-saving, rail-skimming riding technique that won him the 2007 Derby with Street Sense, charged past horses along the backstretch and at the turn for home moved into contention. Borel kept Mine That Bird on the rail, leaving it just once to go around a tiring horse before ducking back in, where he exploded past Pioneerof the Nile and Musket Man so fast on the inside that Durkin, who was focused on the other two horses, did not see "Bird" come through until he was already three lengths in the lead. Mine That Bird pulled away to win by 6 ³⁄₄ lengths for the longest margin of victory in over 60 years. He ran the Derby's mile-and-a-quarter distance in 2 minutes 2.66 seconds.

A two-dollar win wager returned $103.20, making Mine That Bird the second-biggest upset winner in Kentucky Derby history, behind 91-1 longshot Donerail in 1913. Mine That Bird had the third longest odds in the 19-horse field, with only Atomic Rain (55-1) and Join in the Dance (51-1) being higher.

2009 Preakness Stakes

The day after his Derby win, Mine That Bird's connections were uncertain if they would come back two weeks later and try for the Preakness Stakes. They planned to wait and assess the horse's condition first.

Co-owner Mark Allen said, "The plan was that if he showed something here, to skip the Preakness and go to the Belmont, like his dad." His sire Birdstone won the Belmont Stakes in 2004, suggesting that Mine That Bird's breeding is for longer distances. Trainer Chip Woolley was concerned that the Preakness tends to have a quick pace that might not benefit his horse as much as the Belmont.

It was announced on May 4, 2009, on ESPN that Mine That Bird would run in the Preakness.

Borel opted to ride his regular mount, the filly Rachel Alexandra, in the Preakness. Rachel Alexandra had won the Kentucky Oaks by 20 lengths with Borel aboard and was the favorite in the Preakness. The mount on Mine That Bird went to Mike Smith. Mine That Bird finished second, a length behind Rachel Alexandra. As with the Derby, Mine That Bird came from far back in the field on the final turn and was closing rapidly, but the finish line came before he could catch the filly.

Subsequent races

Mine That Bird ran in the Belmont Stakes on June 6, 2009, where he was again ridden by Borel. After starting last, he began moving up along the backside. After taking the lead at the top of the stretch, he battled with Dunkirk and Charitable Man down the lane but was beaten by Summer Bird and Dunkirk to finish third.

Mine That Bird returned to racing with a 3rd-place finish in the West Virginia Derby on August 1, 2009. He then finished 9th in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7, 2009.

New Mexico Horse of the Year

On February 11, 2010, Mine That Bird was unanimously voted New Mexico Horse of the Year for 2009 by the New Mexico State House of Representatives. The bill was introduced by state representative Candy Spence Ezzell, who explained that "Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen [Mine That Bird's owners] have brought New Mexico positive worldwide recognition." Dr. Blach, who was present for the proceedings, received a standing ovation from House members.

On May 19, 2010, Mine That Bird was transferred to Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

In popular culture

This story has been made into a movie, 50 to 1, that was released on March 21, 2014. It stars Skeet Ulrich, Christian Kane and William Devane.

On the second to last episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, which aired on January 21, 2010, host Conan O'Brien claimed that The Tonight Show had purchased Mine That Bird for a comedy bit at the expense of NBC. A chestnut horse which O'Brien introduced as Mine That Bird was brought out in a (supposedly) mink Snuggie and watched what O'Brien stated to be "restricted footage of NFL Super Bowl highlights". O'Brien stated the cost of the bit was $4.8 million.

Rapper Lil Wayne makes a reference to the horse in his track "Always Strapped" Official Remix (Part 2).

Mine That Bird was featured in This American Life episode 398: "Long Shot."

Mine That Bird's owner Mark Allen plays a role in the true-crime drama Practice to Deceive by Ann Rule.