ELMONT, N.Y. — ELMONT, N.Y. -- Chip Woolley waited patiently Wednesday morning for Mine That Bird's name to be called at the Belmont Stakes post-position draw. Woolley, though, isn't the most patient man on the planet. So when racing announcer and master of ceremonies Tom Durkin paused to ask Woolley which of the two remaining positions he would prefer - the six or the seven - Woolley shot him a look that contained equal parts bemusement and impatience.
"It don't matter none," Woolley said.
Mine That Bird ended up with the seventh position and will begin the week as a 2-1 favorite in the 141st running of the Belmont Stakes.
Charitable Man will go off at 3-1 odds from the No. 6 position, and Dunkirk will start in the No. 2 gate at 4-1.
Mine That Bird was a 50-1 long shot in the Kentucky Derby but came back to win despite being 20 lengths off the lead at one point. It was such a surprising win that Durkin flubbed the stretch call, failing to mention Mine That Bird until he had practically crossed the finish line. Woolley had a little fun pointing that out when he came to the podium Wednesday.
"The only person more surprised than me about winning the Derby seemed to be you," Woolley teased.
Durkin playfully conceded: "You know, there were many times when I wished I'd actually seen that race."
Fix the Triple Crown
Trainer D. Wayne Lukas suggested Wednesday that the Kentucky Derby remain on the first Saturday in May but that the Preakness would benefit if it were moved to Memorial Day weekend. The Belmont would take place July 4 weekend. He even suggested the Travers Stakes could be viewed as the fourth major race if it were held in August.
"What's the hurry? Timing is your ally, Lukas said. "I think if we keep the fields together, you can develop a real fan base."
What would 'Rachel' do?
Although her owners seem to have made the prudent decision in keeping her out of the race, there has been no shortage of speculation on how Rachel Alexandra, the Preakness-winning filly, would do if she were entered in the Belmont.
"I think she'd be the favorite if she were here," trainer Todd Pletcher said.
