Getting to Know Noble Bird

Noble Bird captures his first graded stakes victory and a spot in the Breeders' Cup Classic in the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
It has taken Noble Bird a while to get to the top level of the sport, but the wait has been well worth it for his connections.
In only his second start in a graded stakes race, Noble Bird became a Grade 1 winner and earned a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Classic with a victory in the Stephen Foster Handicap, a “Win and You’re In” race.
Let’s get to know this newcomer to the older horse division.
Race Résumé
Winning his maiden in his fifth start last year as a 3-year-old, Noble Bird has really come on as a 4-year-old. He had a bit of a hiccup in his first start of the year when finishing sixth going six furlongs but as soon as he returned to racing at a mile or longer, he picked his game back up.
He reeled off two nose victories in allowance races, including a Keeneland win over the highly regarded Top Billing. That victory gave him a then-career-best Equibase Speed Figure of 105 and convinced his connections to try him in a stakes race.
The Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks day was a logical spot as it had him going 1 1/16 miles on a track he trains on every day. He ran into Protonico in the race and finished second by only a head but was 3 ¼ lengths ahead of the third-place horse. That second-place finish earned him a 120 Equibase Speed Figure, his career best thus far.
That takes us to the Stephen Foster where jockey Shaun Bridgmohan had his hands full with Noble Bird throughout the race. While Noble Bird was in second behind the pacesetter, he was anything but relaxed and when Bridgmohan let him go he took off like a shot and held off Lea at the end.
2015 STEPHEN FOSTER HANDICAP

Video courtesy of Breeders’ Cup World Championships
Obviously Noble Bird can sit behind horses without wearing himself out too much but as he faces tougher competition, it will be better for him if he conserves energy by not fighting the jockey. His connections think the same thing and assistant trainer Norman Casse brought it up during the post-race interview.
“I think he [does get the Breeders’ Cup Classic distance],” Casse said. “If we can get him to learn how to relax a little bit more, that’s the key to winning that race and he showed today that he belongs with the best horses in the country."
Noble Bird took a step back in the Speed Figures in the Stephen Foster, scoring a 119 but it shouldn’t be anything to worry about as it is just one point below that career-best he ran in the Alysheba.
Pedigree
If ever there was a horse bred for the Breeders’ Cup Classic distance, Noble Bird is it.
His sire Birdstone is best known for upsetting Smarty Jones in the 2004 Belmont Stakes at 1 ½ miles. Birdstone also won Grade 1 races at 1 ¼ miles (the distance of the Breeders’ Cup Classic) and 1 1/16 miles, showing that he had speed in addition to stamina. As a sire, Birdstone has passed on his successful routing abilities. He sired both the 2009 Kentucky Derby and Belmont winners in Mine That Bird and Summer Bird, respectively. Noble Bird is his third Grade 1 winner.
Noble Bird’s dam Anyhow was unraced but has three winners from four foals to race. In addition to Noble Bird, one of those winners has won at 1 ¼ miles and the other at 1 1/16 miles, showing that the dam is also good at throwing route horses.
One thing to note about Anyhow is her sire. Tiznow obviously could successfully cover 1 ¼ miles, as he did it twice in the Breeders’ Cup Classic to be the only two-time winner of that race.
Noble Bird’s granddam Charlotte Augusta produced four graded stakes winners or placers with two of her daughters producing successful stakes horses as well. His third dam, Noble Damsel was a Grade 3 winner, whose daughters are responsible for four stakes winners and one champion.
The Breeders’ Cup Classic looks to be a tough race this year with a good 3-year-old crop clashing with a good older horse division but so far, Noble Bird has shown that he belongs in the race. If trainer Mark Casse can continue to improve on the form the colt showed in his last two races, Noble Bird will be one to watch the closer we get to the Oct. 31 Classic.