Calvin Borel
Encyclopedia
Calvin H. Borel is an American
jockey
in thoroughbred horse racing
and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby
, the 2009 Kentucky Derby
and the 2010 Kentucky Derby
. His 2009 Derby win with Mine That Bird
was the second biggest upset in Derby history behind Donerail
, and Borel's winning margin of lengths was the greatest in Derby history since Assault
won by 8 lengths in 1946. On May 1, 2009, Borel won the Kentucky Oaks
aboard Rachel Alexandra
, only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo, and just the seventh time overall a jockey has accomplished this feat in the same year. On May 16, 2009, Borel won the 2009 Preakness Stakes
at Pimlico
with thoroughbred filly Rachel Alexandra
. In doing so, Borel became the first jockey to win the first two jewels of the Triple Crown
on different mounts. Borel's nickname is Bo"rail" because he stays so close to the rail to save ground.
: the heart of Cajun
Country, and famous for having produced a number of top jockeys since 1990. Like Randy Romero
, Kent Desormeaux
, and Shane Sellers
, Borel began racing horses in the bush track
s near his hometown of Catahoula. Borel began riding in match races at the age of eight. Calvin is known for his Cajun accent and bubbly and emotional personality, both of which were on full display during his post-victory interview after all three Kentucky Derby wins.
Calvin Borel's older brother, Cecil, had a brief career as a thoroughbred jockey but was not able to maintain his weight. He turned to training horses
at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana
. Calvin would later begin his professional riding career at Delta Downs.
Over a career that has spanned 25 years, Borel has become known for his tireless work ethic as well as an ability to slip up the rail to save ground; his colleagues and racing fans therefore frequently refer to him as "Calvin Bo-rail".
Borel is and 116 pounds (52.6 kg). He lives in Louisville, Kentucky
with his wife, Lisa Funk.
His riding career began to surge forward in June 2006 when he won the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap
at Churchill Downs with 91–1 longshot Seek Gold, getting up in the final stride to win by a nose over Perfect Drift
, paying $185.40 to win. In fact, that year was his big break when he won his first Breeders' Cup
on Street Sense in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
.
Borel's first significant career win came in the 2007 Kentucky Derby
aboard Street Sense
, guiding the colt to a length victory over Hard Spun
. He then had a close second place finish in the Preakness Stakes to Curlin.
On July 5, 2007, Borel became the sixth jockey in the history of Churchill Downs to win six races on a single race card. With his victory in the July 5, 2008 Bashford Manor Stakes
, Calvin Borel became the thirty-fourth jockey in North American
Thoroughbred racing history to win 4,500 races.
May 2, 2009 saw Borel win the Kentucky Derby on Mine That Bird
, a 50–1 long shot, a day after winning the Kentucky Oaks
aboard favorite Rachel Alexandra
. It was only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo and just the seventh jockey overall to accomplish this feat in the same year.
On May 16, 2009 Borel won the Preakness Stakes on Rachel Alexandra
(after that horse was sold following the Derby). This accomplishment marked the first time that a jockey won the first two legs of the Triple Crown on different horses, and Borel, with a win in the Belmont, could have become the first Triple Crown rider since Steve Cauthen
accomplished it in 1978 on Affirmed. A win would have made him only the second individual to win the Triple Crown by sweeping the races with different horses (D. Wayne Lukas
, a trainer, in 1995). However, on June 6, 2009, Calvin Borel finished 3rd on Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes
, failing to accomplish a Jockey Triple Crown.
On June 27, 2009 he guided Rachel Alexandra to a victory in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park, setting a new stakes record. Borel then rode her to a six length victory over Belmont Stakes
winner Summer Bird
in the Haskell Invitational.
On September 5 of the same year Calvin rode Rachel Alexandra to a historic victory in the Woodward Stakes. It was the first time a filly of any age had won that storied race.
Borel was named the winner of the 2010 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
On May 1, 2010 Calvin rode Super Saver
to win his 3rd Kentucky Derby in a 4-year span, the first jockey ever to do so. After winning the race he promised that he would win the Triple Crown in 2010, but unfortunately, he lost the Preakness.
On June 4, 2010, Borel became only the second jockey to win 1,000 career races at Churchill Downs, joining Hall of Famer Pat Day.
On August 20, 2011, Borel was arrested in Evansville, Indiana
for allegedly driving while intoxicated.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jockey
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in thoroughbred horse racing
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
and rode the victorious mount in the 2007 Kentucky Derby
2007 Kentucky Derby
The 2007 Kentucky Derby was the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 5, 2007. The announced attendance was 156,635, the third largest in Derby history....
, the 2009 Kentucky Derby
2009 Kentucky Derby
The 2009 Kentucky Derby was the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby. The value of the race was $2,177,000 in stakes. The race was sponsored by Yum! Brands and hence officially was called Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. The race took place on May 2, 2009, and was televised in the United...
and the 2010 Kentucky Derby
2010 Kentucky Derby
The 2010 Kentucky Derby was the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 1, 2010, and was televised in the United States on the NBC television network. The post time was EDT . The stakes of the race were US$2,185,200...
. His 2009 Derby win with Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird is a retired American racehorse. He is best known for being one of only nine geldings to win the Kentucky Derby, and the second gelding to win the race since 1929...
was the second biggest upset in Derby history behind Donerail
Donerail
Donerail was an American thoroughbred racehorse, who was the upset winner of the 1913 Kentucky Derby. His driving win stands to this day as the biggest long shot in the history of the Derby. Going off at 91-1, Donerail provided a $184.90 payoff for a $2 bet. He was drawing away at the finish...
, and Borel's winning margin of lengths was the greatest in Derby history since Assault
Assault (horse)
Assault was an American Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse who won the U.S. Triple Crown in 1946.-Early life:...
won by 8 lengths in 1946. On May 1, 2009, Borel won the Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
aboard Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra is a retired American Thoroughbred filly racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year. She is renowned as the May 16, 2009 Preakness Stakes winner, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the first filly to win the race in 85 years history...
, only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo, and just the seventh time overall a jockey has accomplished this feat in the same year. On May 16, 2009, Borel won the 2009 Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
at Pimlico
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
with thoroughbred filly Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra is a retired American Thoroughbred filly racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year. She is renowned as the May 16, 2009 Preakness Stakes winner, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the first filly to win the race in 85 years history...
. In doing so, Borel became the first jockey to win the first two jewels of the Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
on different mounts. Borel's nickname is Bo"rail" because he stays so close to the rail to save ground.
Life and career
Calvin Borel hails from south LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
: the heart of Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
Country, and famous for having produced a number of top jockeys since 1990. Like Randy Romero
Randy Romero
Randy Paul Romero is a Hall of Fame jockey in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing, Born into a family involved with horses, his father Lloyd J...
, Kent Desormeaux
Kent Desormeaux
Kent Jason Desormeaux is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year, 1989.-Brief biography:...
, and Shane Sellers
Shane Sellers
Shane Jude Sellers is an American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. At age eleven, he began working around horses and in 1983 rode his first winner at Evangeline Downs....
, Borel began racing horses in the bush track
Bush track
Bush track is a term used in horse racing to describe unsanctioned, informal horse races run in rural areas of the United States and southern Canada. Quarter horses, ridden by amateur jockeys, are raced on makeshift tracks, often set up in the field where the horses are pastured using barrels or...
s near his hometown of Catahoula. Borel began riding in match races at the age of eight. Calvin is known for his Cajun accent and bubbly and emotional personality, both of which were on full display during his post-victory interview after all three Kentucky Derby wins.
Calvin Borel's older brother, Cecil, had a brief career as a thoroughbred jockey but was not able to maintain his weight. He turned to training horses
Horse training
Horse training refers to a variety of practices that teach horses to perform certain behaviors when asked to do so by humans. Horses are trained to be manageable by humans for everyday care as well as for equestrian activities from horse racing to therapeutic horseback riding for people with...
at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana
Vinton, Louisiana
Vinton is a town in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,338 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History of Vinton:...
. Calvin would later begin his professional riding career at Delta Downs.
Over a career that has spanned 25 years, Borel has become known for his tireless work ethic as well as an ability to slip up the rail to save ground; his colleagues and racing fans therefore frequently refer to him as "Calvin Bo-rail".
Borel is and 116 pounds (52.6 kg). He lives in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
with his wife, Lisa Funk.
His riding career began to surge forward in June 2006 when he won the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap
Stephen Foster Handicap
The Stephen Foster Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race run in mid-June near the end of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky...
at Churchill Downs with 91–1 longshot Seek Gold, getting up in the final stride to win by a nose over Perfect Drift
Perfect Drift
Perfect Drift, is an American thoroughbred gelding racehorse. He is sired by the leading stud, Dynaformer, out of the Naskra mare, Nice Gal....
, paying $185.40 to win. In fact, that year was his big break when he won his first Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
on Street Sense in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships....
.
Borel's first significant career win came in the 2007 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
aboard Street Sense
Street Sense (horse)
Street Sense is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, U.S. Champion 2-Yr-Old Colt and winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby, the 2007 Travers Stakes and runner up in the 2007 Preakness Stakes by a head. Owned and bred by James B...
, guiding the colt to a length victory over Hard Spun
Hard Spun
Hard Spun is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that finished second in the 2007 Kentucky Derby. He is from one of the last crops of three-time leading sire in North America Danzig. Hard Spun is owned by Wilmington, Delaware automobile dealer Richard C...
. He then had a close second place finish in the Preakness Stakes to Curlin.
On July 5, 2007, Borel became the sixth jockey in the history of Churchill Downs to win six races on a single race card. With his victory in the July 5, 2008 Bashford Manor Stakes
Bashford Manor Stakes
The Bashford Manor Stakes is a six furlong sprint for two-year-old thoroughbred horses run each year during the Spring meet at Churchill Downs. It is a Grade III race on the dirt and offers a purse of $150,000, . It was named in honor of the Bashford Manor Stable owned by George J...
, Calvin Borel became the thirty-fourth jockey in North American
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
Thoroughbred racing history to win 4,500 races.
May 2, 2009 saw Borel win the Kentucky Derby on Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird
Mine That Bird is a retired American racehorse. He is best known for being one of only nine geldings to win the Kentucky Derby, and the second gelding to win the race since 1929...
, a 50–1 long shot, a day after winning the Kentucky Oaks
Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year...
aboard favorite Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra is a retired American Thoroughbred filly racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year. She is renowned as the May 16, 2009 Preakness Stakes winner, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the first filly to win the race in 85 years history...
. It was only the second time since 1993 that a jockey has won the Oaks-Derby combo and just the seventh jockey overall to accomplish this feat in the same year.
On May 16, 2009 Borel won the Preakness Stakes on Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra
Rachel Alexandra is a retired American Thoroughbred filly racehorse and the 2009 Horse of the Year. She is renowned as the May 16, 2009 Preakness Stakes winner, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the first filly to win the race in 85 years history...
(after that horse was sold following the Derby). This accomplishment marked the first time that a jockey won the first two legs of the Triple Crown on different horses, and Borel, with a win in the Belmont, could have become the first Triple Crown rider since Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen
Steve Cauthen is a retired American jockey.Cauthen, the son of a trainer and a farrier, grew up in Walton, Kentucky around horses, which made race-riding a logical career choice. He rode his first race on May 12, 1976 at Churchill Downs; he finished last, riding King of Swat...
accomplished it in 1978 on Affirmed. A win would have made him only the second individual to win the Triple Crown by sweeping the races with different horses (D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
, a trainer, in 1995). However, on June 6, 2009, Calvin Borel finished 3rd on Mine That Bird in the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, failing to accomplish a Jockey Triple Crown.
On June 27, 2009 he guided Rachel Alexandra to a victory in the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park, setting a new stakes record. Borel then rode her to a six length victory over Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
winner Summer Bird
Summer Bird
Summer Bird is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone. He was bred by retired cardiologist Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, retired pathologist Vilasini Jayaraman, at their Tiffany Farm near Ocala, Florida...
in the Haskell Invitational.
On September 5 of the same year Calvin rode Rachel Alexandra to a historic victory in the Woodward Stakes. It was the first time a filly of any age had won that storied race.
Borel was named the winner of the 2010 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.
On May 1, 2010 Calvin rode Super Saver
Super Saver (horse)
Super Saver is a retired American Thoroughbred race horse, best known as the winner of the 2010 Kentucky Derby.-Pedigree:Super Saver's ancestors include damsire A.P. Indy, winner of the 1992 Belmont Stakes, 1957 Preakness Stakes winner Bold Ruler, 1964 Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer, and...
to win his 3rd Kentucky Derby in a 4-year span, the first jockey ever to do so. After winning the race he promised that he would win the Triple Crown in 2010, but unfortunately, he lost the Preakness.
On June 4, 2010, Borel became only the second jockey to win 1,000 career races at Churchill Downs, joining Hall of Famer Pat Day.
On August 20, 2011, Borel was arrested in Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
for allegedly driving while intoxicated.
Riding titles
- Delta DownsDelta DownsDelta Downs Racetrack, Casino and Hotel is an American thoroughbred and quarter horse racetrack in Calcasieu Parish, near Vinton, Louisiana in the southwest portion of the state. The facility is owned by Boyd Gaming.-History:...
(1985, 1986, 1987) - Louisiana Downs (1991, 1992, 1994)
- Oaklawn ParkOaklawn ParkOaklawn Park is an American thoroughbred racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to The Racing Festival of the South.In 2009, the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced a rating system for 65 Thoroughbred racetracks in North America. Of the top Ten, Oaklawn was ranked...
(1995, 2001) - Ellis Park (1995, 2011)
- Churchill DownsChurchill DownsChurchill Downs, located in Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, is a Thoroughbred racetrack most famous for hosting the Kentucky Derby annually. It officially opened in 1875, and held the first Kentucky Derby and the first Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Churchill Downs...
Fall meet (1999, 2006, 2009), Spring meet (2010) - Turfway ParkTurfway ParkTurfway Park is an American horse racing track located just outside the city limits to the north of Florence, Kentucky, about 10 miles south of the Ohio River at Cincinnati...
(2000) - Kentucky DownsKentucky DownsKentucky Downs is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on the border between Kentucky and Tennessee, near the city of Franklin and just off Interstate 65...
(2005)
External links
- Calvin Borel's Derby win featured inside and on the cover of Stride Magazine
- Athlete Chat: Calvin Borel Interview after 2009 Kentucky Derby
- Calvin Borel profile at the NTRA
- Calvin Borel is interviewed about his Career, Childhood, and 2009 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks wins
- http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbJockeyInfo.cfm?eID=200
Year-end charts
| Chart (2000–present) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 | 43 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 | 35 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 | 34 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 | 41 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 | 54 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 | 73 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 | 30 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 | 17 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 | 50 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 | 15 |