Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - The winner of the Kentucky Derby always becomes the early favorite to walk away with the Eclipse Award for that year's champion three-year-old. As long as the Run for the Roses champ remains consistent in his ensuing starts, he will put his name along side recent award winners, Smarty Jones, Afleet Alex and Big Brown.

Mine That Bird has remained consistent in his three races since coming out of nowhere at 50-1 to capture the Kentucky Derby. He made a later run in the Preakness Stakes to get within a length of Rachel Alexandra to be second and finished third to Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes.

At that point in the year Mine That Bird still had the lead in the race for three-year-old champion honors. However, his half-brother, Summer Bird, began to exhibit late development.

While Mine That Bird made the unusual trip to Mountaineer Park for the $750,000 West Virginia Derby, trainer Tim Ice sent Summer Bird to Monmouth Park for the more respected $1 million Haskell Invitational versus Rachel Alexandra.

Mine That Bird, ridden by Mike Smith, finished a disappointing third to Soul Warrior at Mountaineer while Summer Bird was a respectable second in the slop to the 'Super Filly'. Three weeks later in the $1 million Travers at Saratoga, Summer Bird defeated Florida Derby champ Quality Road, again in the slop.

The race is now on for three-year-old division honors between these two sons of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone.

Summer Bird will be the first of the two to race. This Saturday the colt takes on older thoroughbreds for the first time in the 1 1/4 mile Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. A rematch with Quality Road in the $750,000 event is expected with Summer Bird the probable favorite.

Mine That Bird will get back into the starting gate after a two month break on October 10 in the $300,000 Goodwood Stakes at Santa Anita. Depending on Summer Bird's effort in New York, Mine That Bird needs to win his race against older horses to remain atop the division.

Trained by Chip Woolley, Mine That Bird was 12th and last in the 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Interesting about that start for the gelding was the fact that Woolley stayed in New Mexico instead of accompanying his horse for such an important race. Richard Mandella saddled the gelding for the Breeders' Cup start.

This time Woolley is with Mine That Bird at Santa Anita for the Goodwood and possibly the Breeders' Cup Classic on November 7.

"This is the first time I've been here to run one," Woolley said Friday. "I've shipped horses out here before, but somebody else ran them for me. But I've been out here and bought horses, stuff like that."

While Mine That Bird raced six times as a two-year-old, Summer Bird made his racing debut this year on March 1. In seven career starts, Summer Bird has won three times for more than $1.5 million.

Mine that Bird has five wins in 12 lifetime starts with earnings of nearly $2.2 million. This year the gelding has earned almost $1.9 million with one win in six starts for owners Dr. Leonard Blach and Mark Allen.