Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - Even in this age of specialized jet transportation, the two leading three-year-olds in training are moved from track to track by van.

Both Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and Preakness Stakes champ Rachel Alexandra are placed in a van hauled by a truck and taken to their next race.

Friday morning in Louisville, KY a trailer carrying Mine That Bird left historic Churchill Downs for Mountaineer Racetrack in West Virginia. The gelding will make his next start in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Saturday, August 1.

Trainer Chip Woolley once again slid behind the wheel of his truck to transport Mine That Bird to the next destination. The trip from Louisville to Chester, WV is about seven hours,

"We're ready to go," said Woolley just before he left. "You get to looking forward to going to run again and it gets kind of drab after you've been a while not running. I'm kind of excited about going and being to a new place we hadn't been. So I think it'll be a lot of fun. As much as I hate leaving Louisville and Churchill, it's going to be fun to move on down the road."

The 1 1/8 mile West Virginia Derby will be the gelding's first start since he was third to half-brother Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes. Mine That Bird is then expected to start in the $1 million Travers at Saratoga on Saturday, August 29. Owned by Mark Allen and Dr, Leonard Blach, the three-year-old will then be shipped to Santa Anita for the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, November 7.

"He's doing great," Woolley said from Churchill Downs. "He's really climbing that peak that we're looking for and really doing good. So I'm glad I trained him here and the horse stayed healthy and sound over this racetrack, so we're ready to roll on, I guess."

The Kentucky Derby winner has earnings of more than $1.8 million this year and has a career record of five wins in 11 races and earnings of $2,121,581.

Leading filly Rachel Alexandra will be shipped to Monmouth Park for the $1.25 million Haskell Invitational on Friday, July 31, The 1 1/8 mile Haskell for three-year-olds will be conducted two days later.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said the filly will arrive at Monmouth the morning of July 31, and is scheduled to school in the paddock with the field for the day's sixth race.

Owned by Jess Jackson and Harold McCormick, Rachel Alexandra crushed two rivals last time out at Belmont Park in the Mother Goose Stakes. She romped by better than 19-lengths in the 1 1/8 mile race. In May she won the Kentucky Oaks by more than 20-lengths.

'Rachel' became the first filly to win the Preakness in 85 years with a one- length victory over Mine That Bird and jockey Mike Smith. Calvin Borel, who was aboard 'Bird' in the Run for the Roses, guided 'Rachel' to victory in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown. Borel remains committed to ride the filly, while Smith has been engaged to be on 'Bird' for the West Virginia Derby and Travers.

A winner of her last seven starts, Rachel Alexandra has won almost $1.6 million this year with six wins and has banked nearly $1.8 million in 12 lifetime starts with nine victories.