Bird & Borel fly home in Kentucky Derby
Sunday, 3 May 2009 19:18Calvin Borel produced an amazing riding performance as Mine That Bird ran out a shock winner in the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Trained in New Mexico by Bennie 'Chip' Woolley, the unheralded gelding shot through a gap on the rails in the straight, putting the 'Run for the Roses' to bed in a matter of strides.
The well-fancied Pioneerof The Nile looked perfectly poised rounding the home turn but had no answer as the winner shot clear. Musket Man was third for Irish-born trainer Derek Ryan.
Borel's mount - available at 139-1 on Betfair as the gates opened - was almost Arazi-esque as the jockey claimed his second Derby after Street Sense two years ago, coming from a mile back and slicing through the field.
And it completed a memorable two days as he had won the Kentucky Oaks in spectacular style on Rachel Alexandra.
Borel said: 'It's unbelievable. It's been a long road but it's paying off. He's done it for me today.
'I took him back and rode a Street Sense race. I got up the fence the whole way, had a good trip - I got stopped once but after that he was awesome.
'I knew if I could find my way through he was going to do it. When I kept asking he kept getting closer. I got a gap and he went in there. I was a fair way back early, 20 lengths. I knew I had a lot of horse.'
Motorcycle enthusiast Woolley, on crutches after an accident in the winter, said: 'It's a feeling I've never had before. Calvin Borel is the best, he rode a huge race. Everyone around me has done a great job and we were just lucky to get here.
'When he turned for home I quit watching the camera. I saw him start out wide but then I couldn't see him. Then I looked at the eighth pole and he was on the lead - I was blown away.
'Calvin did a great job, he put us where we needed to be.'
