Mine That Bird Retired

[NY BRED]

Finally an owner sees the light.

[cpitt84]

I really felt bad for MTB. I was hoping he'd do better in the dirt mile and was really sad for him and his owners. But, I am glad that they acknowledged the truth and glad he's healthy.

[horses4courses]

Little doubt that they are doing the right thing...... :ThmbUp:

[Shelby]

I will miss him.

[Valuist]

Should've been running for a 50K tag.

[Zippy Chippy]

I really felt bad for MTB. I was hoping he'd do better in the dirt mile and was really sad for him and his owners. But, I am glad that they acknowledged the truth and glad he's healthy.

I agree. I feel horrible. Besides Zenyatta there wasn't a horse i was rooting more for. He had absolutely nothing again!!

[The_Knight_Sky]

Birdy was actually sent off at 18/1 :eek: in the BC Dirt Mile.

Beware the hype machine.

[joanied]

It was awful to watch the little guy run so poorly again...it's such a shame that they got him to the point that he just seems to have lost his heart...if they do retire him, will they find him something to do? he's too young to be turned out with nothing to do...give him back to Woolley and see if they can't use him as a pony horse, or let someone re train him for another venue...
it;s another sad story in racing...he's such a cool little horse...I just hope we don't loose touch with him and that whatever he does, he's happy...he sure as hell deserves that!

[jognlope]

I was wondering if his training was inconsistent and switched mid-stream, poor little guy got all mixed up. They lose heart for a reason.

[ihatenyra]

I was wondering if his training was inconsistent and switched mid-stream, poor little guy got all mixed up. They lose heart for a reason.

Absolutely. Instead of running in the bc the last 2 years he should have been running in G3 races. If he wasn't competitive there then retire him. I think they ruined this horse with the campaign.

[mountainman]

Strong rumor had the horse physically amiss when he came here for our wv derby. The way he ran, hanging through an extremely slow come-home fraction as Big Drama stopped to a walk, seemed to verify the bad buzz. Some poor efforts are excusable, or a fluke, a blip on the radar. Mtb's wv derby, however, was the kind of flop that signals the party is over. From the moment one of the ky derby's most glorious kickers failed to gain on a 14 and change final furlong, he was never going to score another stakes.

[jognlope]

That's right, Joanied, would just wish he be treated well now and be a happy pasture ornament. Kind of sad, he's only 4.

[FenceBored]

Strong rumor had the horse physically amiss when he came here for our wv derby. The way he ran, hanging through an extremely slow come-home fraction as Big Drama stopped to a walk, seemed to verify the bad buzz. Some poor efforts are excusable, or a fluke, a blip on the radar. Mtb's wv derby, however, was the kind of flop that signals the party is over. From the moment one of the ky derby's most glorious kickers failed to gain on a 14 and change final furlong, he was never going to score another stakes.

And it was between the WV Derby and the Goodwood that he had his throat surgery. After the surgery he never hit the board again.

[joanied]

Makes one wonder if that throat surgery was somehow screwed up...afterall, surgeries are messed up all the time...so, who knows...maybe this surgery actually created more of a problem for the horse...
regardless, IMO, as said by many, an easy campaign in Grade III's would have most likely resulted in some wins for MTB...his owners should be ashamed for allowing this to play out over the course of 8 races he didn't belong in.
At 4 yrs old, he's too young to become a pasture pal, and I beleive they should find another career for him...but, whatever they do for him, I only hope it gives MTB a happy and long life...in fact, they should get in touch with Old Friends...no doubt he'd be a popular horse either there, or at the Kentucky Horse Park.