Posted by Howie on May 9, 2009, 1:45 pm, in reply to "The announcer never saw Calvin Borel's "Mine that Bird" coming"
66.215.57.194
Stolen from the email of the Pattaya Times boxing columnist...
THE Kentucky Derby by Howie Reed
Exclusive for the PATTAYA TIMES
The biggest horse race in America, The Kentucky Derby, always begins when the University of Louisville Band strikes up Steven Fosters My Old Kentucky Home. The opening words are “The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home”. The 135th addition of the Run for the Roses had only liquid sunshine as the track was sloppy when the gates opened on the 19 3-years olds who would run a mile and a quarter chasing history and a portion of the $2 plus million dollar’s in purse. The sun was shinning though on a 3 year old gelding from the most unlikely place of New Mexico
There were horse that arrived by special van, in chartered planes pamper by their owners who had spent millions in search of a Derby win. In the end it was a $9,500 purchase that traveled in the back of a horse trailer pulled by a pick up truck driven by the trainer Chip Wooley that stole the day.
Mine That Bird ridden by Calvin “On The Rail” Borel galloped to a 6 ¾ lengths victory in the 135th Kentucky Derby over runner up Pioneerof The Nile. With 19 horse’s breaking on a sloppy track many though that location, as in real estate, was everything. “I’d like a clear trip,” was the phrase uttered by all prior to the race. At the break Mine That Bird had one horse beaten into the first turn. So much for location.
As expected Regal Ransom and Join In The Dance led from the start cutting out fractions of a half in 47.1 and the 6 furlong in 1:12. At the one mile mark Regal Reason tossed it in with Join In The Dance taking over the lead with Pioneer In the Nile second but ready to pounce. At the top of the stretch Pioneerof The Nile, kept out of trouble by jockey Garrett Gomez, was about four wide as he went into the lead. On this wet track a horse either had to be rubbing the inside rail or four wide. Mine That Bird was 12th but riding the rail. While most of the 130,000 fans under the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs were taking a sip of their mint juleps they were watching a potential duel for the win between Pioneer of The Nile and Musket Man, Mine That Bird came flying up the rail to blow the Derby wide open
Once in the home stretch Mine That Bird took the lead by a length which would eventually be almost 7 at the finish. Pioneer In The Nile would hang a nose on Musket Man after a heated battle for second. So after a 20 hour trip Mine the Bird needed just 2:02.6 for the win in the Run for the Roses...
Backer’s of Mine That Bird they were rewarded with $103.20, $54.00 and $25.80 . Pioneer of The Nile returned $8.40 for place and $6.40 for the show dough. Musket Man collect $12.00 for the show.
This was jockey Calvin Borel’s second Derby win in three years. In 2007 he used the same “up the rail tactic” to steer Street Sense to stirring victory. When pre race favorite I Want Revenge was scratched on the morning of the race the favorite’s role fell to Friesan Fire who was a well beaten 18th. One to watch in the future is the well bet Dunkirk who stumbled badly at the start and took himself out of the race. Calling Mine That Bird’s win a upset would be a understatement of gigantic proportions.
Mine That Bird has now captured the first jewel in the triple crown. Shortly after the race a tearful Calvin Borel said, “We’ll probably pack him up and head him home.” Maybe not as the lure of the Preakness in Baltimore on May 16th is only 2 weeks away so the temptation has to be great to move on like Indiana Jones and capture the Holy Grail of racing. .
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