Calvin Borel

LOUISVILLE - The 50-1 shot showed up at Churchill Downs in a trailer hitched to his trainer's Ford pickup, after a 21-hour drive from a little racetrack in New Mexico. In his last race at that same hardscrabble track, Mine That Bird came in fourth. That's all part of Kentucky Derby lore now, after jockey Calvin Borel, famous for his rides along the rail at Churchill, pulled it off again, winning the Run for the Roses for the second time in three years. As Mine That Bird shot through a hole and bolted to the lead before the final furlong, few in the crowd of 153,563 even knew which horse it was. The second longest shot to win in Derby history paid $103.

1. Calvin Borel, 43 2. Brett Favre, 40 3. Bernard Hopkins, 45 4. Jamie Moyer, 47 5. Mark Recchi, 42

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky has drawn the No. 1 post and is the 5-2 favorite in a field of eight entered for Sunday's $1-million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver is the co-second choice at 3-1 in the first race for both 3-year-olds since Lookin At Lucky won the Preakness in May with Super Saver finishing eighth. Trappe Shot also is 3-1. Also entered Thursday in the 1 1/8-mile race were Derby runner-up Ice Box, Preakness runner-up First Dude, Afleet Again, Uptowncharlybrown and Our Dark Knight.

Inquirer staff columnist Bob Ford won an honorable mention for the 2007 Eclipse Award in the news-commentary category for his column on Calvin Borel, the Kentucky Derby-winning jockey, who was aboard Street Sense. The column appeared on May 7. Ford won the award in the same category two years ago for his column on jockey Mike Smith and Giacomo, the 2005 Kentucky Derby winner. The Eclipse Awards are presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the National Turf Writers Association, and the Daily Racing Form.

Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense began his second season with a first-rate performance, pulling away in the stretch to win the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes yesterday at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. In his first race since finishing second in the Preakness Stakes more than 2 months ago, Street Sense had more than enough in reserve to overtake C P West in the stretch for a 1 1/2-length victory. Street Sense, ridden by jockey Calvin Borel, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.

Kentucky invaders dominated yesterday's $200,000 Delaware Oaks when Nickel Classic edged Lu Ravi by a nose in a thrilling stretch duel at Delaware Park. Taffy Davenport finished third, 2 1/2 lengths farther back in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies, followed by Added Gold, Mudslinger, Petulance, Citidance Missy, and 8-5 favorite Memories Of Gold. Nickel Classic, owned and bred by Calvin Johnston, stalked the pace set by Citidance Missy, moved to a clear lead in the stretch, and just lasted under a hard drive by Calvin Borel.

Chester-bred colt Great Hunter was made the 9-5 second choice and will start from the No. 7 post position in Saturday's Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. Street Sense, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner, was made the 4-5 favorite in the seven-horse field for the 1 1/8-mile race to be run on the Polytrack surface for the first time. Great Hunter, winner of the March 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita in his only start this year, will be ridden by Corey Nakatani. "Not bad to draw the lucky number seven; and to be able to load last is always a positive," trainer Doug O'Neill said.

Calvin Borel is back on Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird and he's thinking about another Triple Crown victory. "We're gonna win, no questions asked," Borel predicted after a workout yesterday at Churchill Downs, where the gelding did a half-mile in 50 seconds. That was his Derby-winning formula. "He worked in :50 and out in 1:02, just like before the Derby. He is doing everything the same," the jockey said. "After those two hard races [the Derby and Preakness], I think the [gelding]

Few horses rally from as far off the pace as Pineaff, but his upset of Menifee in the Tampa Bay Derby in March has earned him the favorite's role in Monday's $300,000 Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park. Pineaff is the 122-pound highweight and will break from the rail in a field of 11 drawn yesterday for the 21st running of Pennsylvania's richest race, over 11/8 miles. Marlon St. Julien will ride the son of 1992 Preakness winner Pine Bluff for trainer Ken McPeek. Pineaff has not started since finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes on June 5 but has been training at Churchill Downs.

May 5 at Churchill Downs     1. Union Rags           Michael Matz    Julien Leparoux       9-2 Should be as fresh as any Derby horse following third-place finish in Florida Derby on March 31. Worked 4 furlongs in 47.40 seconds Friday at Keeneland. Will work one more time at Churchill before race. 2. Gemologist           Todd Pletcher     Javier Castellano    12-1 Wood Memorial winner is looking to become eighth unbeaten Derby winner.

LOUISVILLE, KY. - Trainer Larry Jones had little time to celebrate the last time he won the Kentucky Oaks with Proud Spell in 2008. One day later, Eight Belles, his other top filly, broke down and was euthanized after the Kentucky Derby. Jones' focus this week is on Believe You Can in Friday's $1 million Kentucky Oaks after he pulled Mark Valeski out of contention for the Derby. He's hoping for success he can finally savor for a while four years after the tragedy. Grace Hall is the early 5-2 favorite and most recently rolled to a 61/2-length victory in the Gulfstream Park Oaks.

May 5 at Churchill Downs     1. Union Rags           Michael Matz    Julien Leparoux       9-2 Should be as fresh as any Derby horse following third-place finish in Florida Derby on March 31. Worked 4 furlongs in 47.40 seconds Friday at Keeneland. Will work one more time at Churchill before race. 2. Gemologist           Todd Pletcher     Javier Castellano    12-1 Wood Memorial winner is looking to become eighth unbeaten Derby winner.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - A couple of smart guys, ready to make another move to the betting windows at Gulfstream Park, set their sights on the day's main event, the $1.1 million Florida Derby. "You think this track is speed favoring?" the one guy said. "I'm still not betting against Union Rags," the other answered. "I'm not either," the first said. All eyes Saturday were on Union Rags. NBC's cameras never moved as the rest of the field passed going to the track before the race.

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky has drawn the No. 1 post and is the 5-2 favorite in a field of eight entered for Sunday's $1-million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver is the co-second choice at 3-1 in the first race for both 3-year-olds since Lookin At Lucky won the Preakness in May with Super Saver finishing eighth. Trappe Shot also is 3-1. Also entered Thursday in the 1 1/8-mile race were Derby runner-up Ice Box, Preakness runner-up First Dude, Afleet Again, Uptowncharlybrown and Our Dark Knight.

When: Today, 6:32 p.m. (11th race) Where: Belmont Park, Elmont, N.Y. TV: 6ABC, beginning at 5 p.m. Wagering info: 1-888-BET-INFO or www.phonebet.com Distance: 1 1/2 miles Weights: 126 pounds Purse: $1 million. First place: $600,000 Second place: $200,000 Third place: $110,000 Fourth place: $60,000 Fifth place: $30,000   Staff picks   DICK JERARDI 11 First Dude 5 Fly Down 6 Ice Box 9 Stately Victor ED BARKOWITZ 6 Ice Box 3 Uptowncharlybrown 11 First Dude 5 Fly Down STAN HOCHMAN 3 Uptowncharlybrown 6 Ice Box 4 Make Music for Me 2 Spangled Star   Dick Jerardi's breakdown of the field   1 DAVE IN DIXIE Morning line: 20-1 Owner: Ike and Dawn Thrash Trainer: John Sadler Jockey: Calvin Borel Earnings: $75,150 2010: Starts: 3. 1st: 0. 2nd: 1. 3rd: 0. Career: Starts: 5. 1st: 1. 2nd: 1. 3rd: 0. Last three: Illinois Derby (5th)

BALTIMORE - Lookin At Lucky finally got, well, lucky. The two-year-old champion who kept running into hard luck in his major three-year- old stakes races took advantage of his No. 7 post position and raced to a three-quarter-length victory in the 135th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course. Leaving the gate as a slight second favorite to Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, Lookin At Lucky kept pace with the pack running in the middle of the 12-horse field for much of the race.

BALTIMORE - Make that 33 years and counting in the wait for horse racing's next superstar, at least as defined by the Triple Crown series for 3-year-olds. When the next crop convenes in Louisville on the first Saturday in May 2011, it will have been 33 years since Affirmed outdueled Alydar through a fabulous spring in 1978 to become the 11th Triple Crown champion. The Preakness is always the turning point, the hinge race in which the Kentucky Derby champion announces himself as something special - setting up a dramatic conclusion at the Belmont Stakes - or fades into the small type of the record book.

BALTIMORE - Turning opinions into money at the track is definitely an art. There is some science, but one better have an imagination, a really good memory and the courage to back up any conclusions with cold, hard cash. What worked yesterday often does not work tomorrow. Which brings us to tomorrow's Preakness. If you just looked at the cold, hard results, you would have to pick Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver again. After all, he won the race by 2 1/2 lengths. The horses that finished second, fourth and fifth are not at Pimlico.

BALTIMORE - The Preakness post-position draw was an anticlimax after the news of the morning changed the complexion of the race. Derby Trial winner Hurricane Ike was almost certainly going to be the pacesetter in a race nearly devoid of early speed. In contrast to the Kentucky Derby, there was going to be no contested pace or super-quick fractions. When it was announced that Hurricane Ike did not get on the flight from Louisville with Derby winner Super Saver and eight other horses because of an injury to his left hind leg, the race went from little early speed to practically none.