Calvin Borel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calvin Borel |
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| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born | November 7, 1966 St. Martinville, Louisiana, United States |
| Career wins | 5,146+ (ongoing) |
| Major racing wins | |
| Super Derby (1991) Arkansas Derby (1993) Count Fleet (1989, 1995) Falls City Handicap (1996, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2008) Apple Blossom Handicap (1997, 2001) Fleur de Lis Handicap (1997, 2009, 2010) Essex Handicap (1998, 2007) Clark Handicap (1999) Kentucky Cup Classic Handicap (1999) Bashford Manor Stakes (2000, 2008) Oaklawn Handicap (2000) Bourbon Stakes (2002) Silverbulletday Stakes (2003) Ack Ack Handicap (1996, 1998, 1999) Stephen Foster Handicap (2006) Amsterdam (2006) Tampa Bay Derby (2007) Travers Stakes (2007) Sword Dancer (2007) Alabama Stakes (2007) Jim Dandy Stakes (2007) Razorback Breeders' Cup Handicap (2008) Golden Rod Stakes (2002,2008) Hal's Hope Handicap (2009) Fair Grounds Oaks (2009) Fantasy Stakes (2009) Kentucky Oaks (2009) Louisville Stakes (2009) Haskell Invitational (2009) Woodward Stakes (2009) Mother Goose Stakes (2009) Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (2000, 2008, 2009) Derby Trial (2010) Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap (1992, 1993, 1994) Churchill Downs Distaff Handicap (1998, 1999, 2003) Delaware Oaks (1998) Louisville Distaff Stakes (1999, 2004, 2007, 2009) Florida Derby (2012) West Virginia Governor's Stakes (2013) American Classics wins: Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2006) |
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| Racing awards | |
| George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (2010) | |
| Honours | |
| Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame (2011) National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2013) |
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| Significant horses | |
| Seek Gold, Street Sense, Delightful Kiss Rachel Alexandra, Mine That Bird, Brass Hat, Miss Isella, Super Saver |
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Calvin H. Borel (born November 7, 1966) is a famous American jockey in thoroughbred horse racing. He is best known for winning the prestigious Kentucky Derby three times: in 2007, 2009, and 2010. His 2009 win with the horse Mine That Bird was a huge surprise. That win was one of the biggest upsets in Derby history.
Borel also won the Kentucky Oaks and the Preakness Stakes in 2009, both with the amazing filly Rachel Alexandra. This made him the first jockey to win the first two races of the Triple Crown on different horses. People often call him "Bo'rail'" because he is very good at riding horses close to the inside rail of the track. This helps him save ground and win races.
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About Calvin Borel
Calvin Borel grew up in south Louisiana, a region known as Cajun Country. This area has produced many top jockeys. He started riding horses in small, unofficial races called bush tracks when he was just eight years old.
Borel is known for his strong Cajun accent and his lively personality. He often showed his emotions in interviews after his big wins, especially after his Kentucky Derby victories. His older brother, Cecil, was also a jockey for a short time. Cecil later became a horse trainer. Calvin began his professional riding career at Delta Downs.
Riding Style and Nickname
Calvin Borel is known for his hard work and his special riding style. He is very skilled at guiding his horses close to the inside rail of the track. This move helps him save distance during a race. Because of this unique skill, his fellow jockeys and fans often call him "Calvin Bo-rail."
Borel is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs about 116 pounds. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
Key Wins and Milestones
Calvin Borel's career really took off in 2006. He won the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs with a horse named Seek Gold. This horse was a huge longshot, meaning not many people expected it to win. Seek Gold paid out a lot of money to those who bet on him. That same year, Borel won his first Breeders' Cup race on a horse named Street Sense in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
Kentucky Derby Success
In 2007, Borel won his first Kentucky Derby on Street Sense. They won by more than two lengths. He then finished a close second with Street Sense in the Preakness Stakes.
On July 5, 2007, Borel achieved a rare feat. He won six races on a single day at Churchill Downs. Only five other jockeys had done this before him. A year later, in 2008, he reached another milestone. He won his 4,500th race in North American Thoroughbred racing history.
Triple Crown Attempts
May 2, 2009, was a huge day for Borel. He won the Kentucky Derby with Mine That Bird, a horse that was a 50-to-1 long shot. This means very few people thought Mine That Bird would win. The day before, he had won the Kentucky Oaks with the favorite horse, Rachel Alexandra. Winning both the Oaks and the Derby in the same year is a rare achievement. Only a few jockeys have done it.
Two weeks later, on May 16, 2009, Borel won the Preakness Stakes. He rode Rachel Alexandra again, after she was sold to a new owner. This made him the first jockey ever to win the first two races of the Triple Crown on different horses. He tried to win the third Triple Crown race, the Belmont Stakes, with Mine That Bird, but they finished third.
Later in 2009, Borel continued his success with Rachel Alexandra. They won the Mother Goose Stakes by a huge margin. They also won the Haskell Invitational and the historic Woodward Stakes. Rachel Alexandra was the first female horse of any age to win the Woodward Stakes.
Reaching 5,000 Wins
In 2010, Borel won his third Kentucky Derby in four years. He rode Super Saver to victory. This made him the first jockey to achieve this amazing feat. On June 4, 2010, Borel became only the second jockey to win 1,000 career races at Churchill Downs.
On March 7, 2013, Borel reached his 5,000th career victory. He won this race at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. He dedicated this special win to his agent, Jerry Hissam, who was retiring. Borel is one of only 26 jockeys in North America to reach 5,000 wins.
Awards and Recognition
Calvin Borel received the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in 2010. This award honors jockeys who show high standards of personal and professional conduct.
He was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2013, he was also honored by being inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Borel even played himself in a movie! In 2014, he appeared in the film 50 to 1. The movie was about Mine That Bird's surprising 2009 Kentucky Derby win.
In 2016, Borel announced he was retiring from horse racing. However, he decided to come out of retirement later that same year.
Riding Titles
Calvin Borel has won many riding titles at different racetracks throughout his career. A riding title means he was the top jockey at that track for a specific racing season.
- Delta Downs (1985, 1986, 1987)
- Louisiana Downs (1991, 1992, 1994)
- Oaklawn Park (1995, 2001)
- Ellis Park (1995, 2011)
- Churchill Downs Fall meet (1999, 2006, 2009), Spring meet (2010)
- Turfway Park (2000)
- Kentucky Downs (2005)
