'Bird' to Go One Better in Alysheba

Noble Bird | Coady photography

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Just four starts after breaking his maiden, John Oxley's Noble Bird (Birdstone) was having only the ninth run of his career when making his graded-stakes debut in the 2015 renewal of the GII Alysheba S. on the GI Kentucky Oaks undercard. Twelve months on from that excruciating head defeat, the chestnut will look to improve on that effort against an evenly matched group Friday afternoon.

The chestnut did manage to take it to a new level in his next outing, besting the hard-knocking Lea (First Samurai) and Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday) in the GI Stephen Foster H. the following month. Put away for the winter after finishing last of nine behind 'TDN Rising Star' Honor Code (A.P. Indy) in the GI Whitney H. Aug. 8, the Casse runner was a wide-trip sixth in an Oaklawn allowance comebacker Feb. 21, but dictated things from the front in the GIII Ben Ali S. at Keeneland Apr. 16 and was run over late by the re-opposing Eagle (Candy Ride {Arg}). Having displayed a rating gear in last year's Alysheba and given that there looks to be plenty of speed signed on here, it would not surprise to see Julien Leparoux take a hold and come after it late.

A Will Farish homebred, Eagle had a productive winter in New Orleans, winning the Tenacious S. last December before rounding out the exacta in the Louisiana S. and a head behind Majestic Harbor (Rockport Harbor) in that one's wire-to-wire success when giving away three pounds in the GIII Mineshaft H. Feb. 20. Fourth, but placed third in the GII New Orleans H. Mar. 26, he bounced back in no uncertain terms in the Ben Ali with a 1 1/4-length victory from Noble Bird.

If the pace is generous, as expected, look for 'TDN Rising Star' Top Billing (Curlin) to be flashing home. Placed just once in five starts last year at age four, he ran like a horse in need of the race when a one-paced fifth in a one-mile Gulfstream allowance Mar. 19. But trying eight panels over a two-turn configuration at Keeneland Apr. 15, the chestnut rallied wide on the turn and rattled home from second-last to score by a half-length. The added real estate and long Churchill stretch should aid his cause.

Cat Burglar (Unbridled's Song), a close relative of Derby runner-up Eight Belles, makes his third appearance beneath the Twin Spires, having run second in a Derby Day allowance last May and a distant fifth to Noble Bird in the Foster. Campaigned by Mor Spirit (Eskendereya)'s owner Michael Lund Petersen, the chestnut exits a two-length score in the Apr. 2 Santana Mile S. at Santa Anita.

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