iner ▁Ch ip ▁W ool ley , ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁debut ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 8 , ▁Mine ▁That ▁Bird ▁finished ▁second ▁in ▁the ▁Border land ▁Derby , ▁and ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 9 ▁had ▁a ▁fourth - place ▁finish ▁in ▁the ▁Sun land ▁Derby . ▁Based ▁on ▁his ▁career ▁ear nings ▁in ▁grad ed ▁st akes ▁races , ▁he ▁qualified ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁twenty ▁Kentucky ▁Derby ▁star ters . ▁W ool ley , ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁broken ▁foot ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁cast , ▁loaded ▁Mine ▁That ▁Bird ▁into ▁a ▁horse ▁tra iler ▁attached ▁to ▁his ▁pick up ▁tr uck ▁and ▁drove ▁over ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁miles ▁( per haps ▁ 1 , 7 0 0 ▁miles ) ▁over ▁ 2 1 ▁hours ▁from ▁New ▁Mexico ▁to ▁get ▁to ▁the ▁race . ▁▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Kentucky ▁Derby ▁Following ▁over night ▁rain , ▁the ▁Church ill ▁Down s ▁natural ▁d irt ▁track ▁was ▁r ated ▁as ▁" s lo ppy " ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Kentucky ▁Derby . ▁R idden ▁by ▁Cal vin ▁Bor el , ▁Mine ▁That ▁Bird ▁had ▁trouble ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁starting ▁gate ▁and ▁was ▁left ▁about ▁eight ▁lengths ▁behind ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁field . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁pack ▁of ▁horses ▁was ▁running ▁down ▁the ▁back st retch , ▁Mine ▁That ▁Bird ▁was ▁so ▁far ▁back ▁that ▁N BC ' s ▁announ cer ▁Tom ▁Dur kin ▁at ▁first ▁missed ▁seeing ▁him .