After showing a fondness for Sunland Park last month, Dry Summer was made the 5-2 favorite for the $120,000 Mine that Bird Derby Feb. 23 in New Mexico.
Trained by Joel Marr for owners Sam Britt and Michael House, Dry Summer scored a two-length win over an allowance field at Sunland going one mile and 70 yards Jan. 27.
A son of Any Given Saturday, Dry Summer was previously trained by Jeff Mullins in Southern California, where he won two of six starts. He ran fourth of five in the Sham Stakes (gr. III) at Santa Anita Park Jan. 5, finishing 17 lengths behind the victorious Goldencents . That was his first appearance since finishing 11th of 14 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) on the Santa Anita turf Nov. 3.
His prior victory came in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf at Del Mar in September. Bred in Kentucky by Richard Shultz, Dry Summer is out of the stakes-winning Greenstreet, by Street Cry.
Dry Summer drew the rail in the seven-horse field for the 1 1/16-mile Mine That Bird Derby, previously known as the Borderland Derby and now named for the 2009 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner. The race, the main local stakes prep for the $800,000 Sunland Derby (gr. III) March 24, is the 10th on the card with a scheduled post of 4:40 p.m. MST.
Greeley Awesome, trained by Doug O'Neill for Neil Haymes and Robert N. Verratti, is the only shipper in the field and has three consecutive victories coming into the race. This will be the stakes debut for the son of Mr. Greeley, who topped an allowance optional claiming group in his most recent start Feb. 1 at Golden Gate Fields. Greeley Awesome, whose current winning streak began after six consecutive losses to begin his career, is 3-1 on the morning line.
Mark Breen's Stormdriver, a Louisiana-bred son of Discreet Cat trained by Kevin Eikleberry, ran second to Dry Summer last time out and is pegged at 7-2 on the morning line. It was the colt's first start since a runner-up finish to Show Some Magic in the Riley Allison Futurity last December at Sunland.
The latter colt, another son of Any Given Saturday, is one of two in the Mine That Bird field entered by trainer Henry Dominguez. Show Some Magic, owned by Kirk and Judy Robison, was third behind Dry Summer and Storm Driver as the favorite in the Jan. 27 allowance. He is 4-1 on the morning line.
Dominguez also entered Hardliner, who comes off a maiden score by a neck Feb. 10 at six furlongs. It was the second start for the Rock Hard Ten colt, also owned by the Robisons.
Ize in Command (6-1), an optional claiming winner Jan. 11 for trainer Weston Martin, and recent maiden graduate Invasive Cocktail (10-1) for Camie Telford, complete the field.
$120,000 Mine That Bird Derby (Race 10, 4:40 p.m.), 3 YOs, 1 1/16 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer ML Odds
1. Dry Summer (KY), C D Madeira, J H Marr, 5/2
2. Hardliner (KY), L Contreras, H Dominguez, 8/1
3. Ize in Command (KY), A J Juarez Jr., W Martin, 6/1
4. Show Some Magic (KY), M Hernandez, H Dominguez, 4/1
5. Greeley Awesome (KY), S Arias, D F O'Neill, 3/1
6. Invasive Cocktail (KY), N N Summers, C Telford, 10/1
7. Stormdriver (LA), R Eikleberry, K Eikleberry, 7/2
All assigned 121 pounds.
Dry Summer is the 5-2 favorite in the Mine that Bird Derby.
Benoit Photo