Can't figure this out on Derby winner

[slew101]

The horse is champion 2-year-old in Canada, ships to the BC, runs up the track. OK, still has earned nearly $300,000 and has the lucrative Canadian triple crown series to aim for in 2009 as a 3-year-old.

How did this horse get sold, for how much, and how did he end up in New Mexico with an unknown trainer? Wouldn't they have kept him with Mandella?

Wouldn't the purchase price be huge with the horse's PPs from Canada? How did this group really get this horse? Has anyone seen an article? Only thing DRF said was "privately purchased last year."

[Tom]

Champion 2 yo and all he won was a Gr 3?
Not impressed with being the best in a teeny tiny groups of horses. How may 2yo does Canada have? 7? :lol:

Seriously, We aren't talking Northern Dancer here.
If this guy ever wins another Stakes, I will be amazed, unless it is a WO or FE. Or FL. JMO, but I am not impressed with him.

[anglemaster]

As I recall "Bird" is not a Canadian bred, therefore not eligible for Canadian triple crown.
The horse was sold last fall for 400k US.
Can not help you from California on.

[slew101]

I agree, but they run for big money in that Triple Crown series up there.

[slew101]

Thanks for the info. Makes a little more sense now. So he was sold before the BC. Still wonder why they didn't keep him with Mandella.

As I recall "Bird" is not a Canadian bred, therefore not eligible for Canadian triple crown.
The horse was sold last fall for 400k US.
Can not help you from California on.

[BeatTheChalk]

Champion 2 yo and all he won was a Gr 3?
Not impressed with being the best in a teeny tiny groups of horses. How may 2yo does Canada have? 7? :lol:

Seriously, We aren't talking Northern Dancer here.
If this guy ever wins another Stakes, I will be amazed, unless it is a WO or FE. Or FL. JMO, but I am not impressed with him.

Seriously I am impressed as hell... Did you happen to look at the horse
closely. Not one ounce of fat. None. Ran his ass off .. and wasnt even
blowing at the end. :ThmbUp:

In Canada He won 4 races in a row. He almost one the 5th in a row
as he lost a neck. He was the Juvenile Champ at 2. Damn right I am impressed :ThmbUp:

His breeding is superb. Dumb name tho. It should have been ..
SMART BIRD ( smart strike ) I know you have all looked at the
ENTIRE pedigree and u know how well bred this horse is..

And i am impressed as hell ..once again. Calvin can flat out ride a horse.
On the rail yet. Got thru by an eye lash but who is counting.

And finally I am impressed as hell .. at all of the folks who simply
can not imagine that a long shot can win IN THE MUD... Amazing.
Never happened before. Yes I am impressed as hell . :cool: :jump:

[Light]

How did this horse get sold, for how much, and how did he end up in New Mexico with an unknown trainer? Wouldn't they have kept him with Mandella?




http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/02/SPNM17DLAE.DTL

....So he was sold before the BC

Wrong

From article:

He was sent to Canada, where he was good enough to be that country's champion 2-year-old. But then a couple of guys from New Mexico, Mark Allen and Leonard Blach, bought him privately and turned him over to Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella with instructions to run him in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. After he finished last, they shipped him to New Mexico.

You may also find this article interesting:

Derby winner owned by son of corruption figure

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/05/02/national/a190221D54.DTL&type=sports

[Light]

Here's a better link about the corruption connection:

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/140879

From article:

Mine That Bird is owned by Mark Allen and one of his business partners in Roswell, N.M. Allen is the son of Bill Allen, the former Veco chief executive at the center of the scandal. Bill Allen pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska legislators, and his son might also have been in jeopardy had Bill Allen not won him immunity in his plea.

Bill Allen testified at former Sen. Ted Stevens’ trial that his son paid off a legislator.



I'm not implying anything,but it is interesting.

[fmolf]

Here's a better link about the corruption connection:

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/140879

From article:

[I]Mine That Bird is owned by Mark Allen and one of his business partners in Roswell, N.M. Allen is the son of Bill Allen, the former Veco chief executive at the center of the scandal. Bill Allen pleaded guilty to bribing Alaska legislators, and his son might also have been in jeopardy had Bill Allen not won him immunity in his plea.

Bill Allen testified at former Sen. Ted Stevens’ trial that his son paid off a

I'm not implying anything,but it is interesting."something's rotten in Denmark"the corruption.....the roswell area...is the ranch in area 51?...the half owner is a veterinarian..the clues keep rolling in?.....once corrupt always corrupt...my father always said"you can't take the spots off a leopard"!

[slew101]

All we need now is for Sarah Palin to be an investor and lead the team to Pimlico.

[oddsmaven]

In Canada He won 4 races in a row. He almost one the 5th in a row
as he lost a neck. He was the Juvenile Champ at 2. Damn right I am impressed :ThmbUp:
Tom, who you responded to, had it right...this was no Northern Dancer nor La Prevoyante...just a single Gr III win...that four in a row included a maiden claiming race :eek: .
The 5th in a row try that you mentioned was not the neck loss but was actually a last place effort the one other time he took on the big boys.

[anglemaster]

LIGHT , your newspaper link is misleading.

This horse was purchased by David Cotey also know as Dominion Blood stock.
Dave is stationed at Woodbine. The horse was sold before the BC.

[Light]

It's not misleading. David Cotey is the original owner/ trainer for the horse. The article points out when the horse was purchased privately by its present owners,shipped to Mandella for the BC,then shipped to NM to his present trainer.They don't mention the horse's original connections,but I think that's irrelevant. I doubt he would have entered him in the KD. But Cotey is happy for the horse:

http://www.woodbineentertainment.com/ojcdis.asp?LI=YES&ACT=DIS&SEC=TBN&ART=1241305264228&DTSR=01%2F01%2F2009%5E12%2F31%2F2010+23%3A59

[anglemaster]

Light , sorry I am confused. You mentioned that Cotey was the original owner/trainer and then you say you do not know who the original is. What am I missing??

[Light]

My wording was a little off so I see how you got confused. For the record, Cotey was the original owner/trainer. Mark Allen and Leonard Blach bought the horse from Cotey last fall.