Along with 153,563 fans at Churchill Downs and millions of television viewers, trainer Jimmy Jerkens was as confounded as everyone else when 50-1 shot Mine That Bird walloped 18 rivals in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
“It was … weird,” said Jerkens, whose Quality Road would likely have been the favorite in the Run for the Roses had he not been sidelined by a quarter crack in his right front foot. “I can’t imagine Quality Road would back up like the rest of them did. But I’m sure Larry Jones (Friesan Fire) and Todd Pletcher (Dunkirk) couldn’t imagine their horses wouldn’t pick up their feet, either. I can’t understand so many horses backing up like that.
“That horse who won is no slouch, don’t get me wrong,” he added. “I saw him in California when I was there for the Breeders’ Cup with Zaftig. They sent him to (Hall of Fame trainer Richard) Mandella and I remember him being really small.”
Mine That Bird, a gelded son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone, finished last in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at odds of 23-1. His connections have not yet committed to the second leg of the Triple Crown, the May 16 Preakness, and may go straight to the $1 million Belmont Stakes on June 6.
With Quality Road having returned to the track on Sunday, galloping an eager mile and one quarter under exercise rider Juan Moreno, Jerkens said the Belmont remained a possibility for the Elusive Quality colt, who is owned by Edward P. Evans.
“Everything will have to go perfectly,” he said.
Quality Road, who won the Grade 1, nine-furlong Florida Derby in track record time (1:47.72), developed a quarter crack on the inside of his right front hoof on April 23. Although treated and covered with a supportive acrylic patch, the crack did not respond quickly enough and Jerkens pulled him from Derby consideration on April 25.