God Bless Calvin Borel

Or "50 to 1 Baby!"



Every track has at least one. A local jockey, loved by the natives, but mostly unknown elsewhere. They toil, exercising horses in the mornings (and not just the champion types either) and riding every race in the afternoons. Occasionally they find themselves on a quality mount, usually because of the quirks of chance or their long years of networking, but more often than not the longshots and also rans are their mounts. Even more occasionally, they find themselves with a monster win.

That happened for Louisville jockey, Calvin Borel, a few years back with Street Sense but that success (he got to meet the Queen and everything) is dwarfed by his preformances this weekend. On Friday he rode superstar Rachel Alexandra to a 'Secretariat at the Bemont' like 20 length victory in the Kentucky Oaks (you had the love camera adjustments necessary in the stretch just keep her competition in the frame with her). And then yesterday in the Derby, Borel triumped with one of his patented rail hugging rides (they don't call him "Bo-rail" for nothing) on 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird. Hopefully this Oaks/Derby double trick will earn his skills their due respect by placing him in august company like Isaac Murphy, Eddie Arcaro, Don Brumfield and Jerry Bailey. He's more than a little guy (and I'm talking profile here, not stature) who got lucky once-he's a good rider.

But more than that, and more importantly than that, Calvin is also good people. Anyone who saw him chatting up and cuddling with the Make-a-Wish Foundation girl on Oaks Day and holding her and the trophy up in the Winner's Circle could see he wasn't just being nice, he was nice. Yeah, his crinkle eyed 1000 watt smile is out for Grade 1 race victories sure, but also out for the paddock birds who call out to him on a $5000 claimer running in the 4th on a no stakes Tuesday. After his first Derby win he threw some of his racing goggles to his self described #1 fan, Jamie Harris (I've seen them together and she likes him, she really likes him.) After his weekend victories he did the same. Harris said it best when she told reporters, "we love him here on Derby Day and every day."

God Bless Calvin Borel.

(photo totally stolen from ESPN.com)