Vol. LXIII                                                                              May 14-19, 2009
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Preakness Notes with Kelly Dennington May 16th marks the 134th running of the Preakness Stakes, and this year it’s a recipe for one of the spiciest Maryland chowders to come along in a month of Saturdays. First, take 12 of the nation’s finest 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, toss in the phenomenal filly Rachel Alexandra, topped with seasoned Cajun jockey Calvin Borel, who gives up his Derby-winning mount just to be with her. Finally, for that real down-home Southwestern flavor add the incomparable Mine That Bird. A Champion at two in Canada, MTB flew under the radar to capture the roses and leave the rest of the field simmering. Will he and his connections taste victory again?

Thorofan now introduces you to Kelly Dennington, General Manager of the Double Eagle Ranch. In his exclusive journal, Kelly shares his thoughts as Mine That Bird and the rest of his connections
ride along on the Triple Crown trail.
 

Preakness Notes
Tuesday, May 12th

Greetings everyone. We left this morning from Churchill headed for Baltimore. Chip had us load 'Birdman' around 9:00am. Earl, Mark Allen's business partner, followed along in another Ford F-450 that we use for a backup trailer, while Mark and I headed out on our Harleys, the next best ride after a fine horse. It sure clears the head after a long 10 days of feeling every emotion one can possibly think of.

It’s amazing to me how many lives Mine That Bird and his story have touched so far - no matter how he runs in the future. I just want to say to all the fans that we appreciate the support. We are all livin’ the dream. Wish us luck and say a prayer. I’ll visit again with ya’ later.

-Kelly

 

Preakness Notes Friday, May 15th   Hello again. Well, I thought it would be tough to beat the hospitality of Louisville but these folks here in Baltimore are just wonderful. Though it has been crazy with all the attention and media around. It’s not at all what the team is used to. The best part is that Mine That Bird seems unaffected. He’s doing great in all aspects and goes across this track surface as light and smooth as he did at Churchill. He is such a pro and loves his job. Many of the so-called experts are still scratching there heads trying to figure him out, while the rest of us are taking it day-to-day and enjoying every special moment that God has blessed us with.

On Wednesday they held the post position draw. We drew the 2-spot and are happy with our position. It puts us on the rail where we can again save ground. We’re also real happy to have Mike Smith aboard. He’s from our part of the country and a Hall of Famer. The rest of the family and friends have pretty much all arrived, approximately 70 people, who have come to support “the Bird” and the team. We’ve also gotten a look at Rachel Alexandra. She is a super filly and we respect her talent. Truth is, they are all great horses when you get to this level. You can't discount any horse in this field.

 

So far everyone has treated us well, and the seafood here is great - I have been a crab cake addict since we arrived! Some folks have inquired about how Chip’s foot is holding up. Well, he’s doing better, but he'll probably be on those crutches for several more months.

Again, we appreciate all the support. We're a bit homesick and send our love to our families, friends and fans back home.