May 4, 2009

It’s a rare Kentucky Derby that produces no outstanding stories.

The 2004 Derby gave us Smarty Jones and his owners, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Chapman.  As a two year-old Smarty nearly died in a starting gate accident, but by Derby Day he was at his best.  Although Mr. Chapman was in poor health, he was nevertheless able to enjoy winning Thoroughbred racing’s ultimate prize, and to proudly raise the Kentucky Derby Trophy.

Afleet Alex arrived in 2005.  As a baby Afleet Alex could have died because his mother could not produce milk.  But  the little colt was bottle-fed to good health by the nine-year-old daughter of his owner.  The 2005 Derby also gave us the compelling story of Alexandra “Alex” Scott, a little girl who, at age four and a cancer patient, opened a lemonade stand to raise money for cancer research.  America was charmed by this beautiful child, and ‘the other’ Alex’s owners pledged a percentage of the horses’ winnings to the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, now a leading fund-raising charity for childhood cancer research.

This years’ Derby also has its unique stories, but to me, the one that tops the list is the story of Calvin Borel, Thoroughbred racing’s unofficial ambassador for joyful, polite, and humble. He truly is an athlete we can applaud.

Hopefully you were listening when NBC on-track analyst Donna Brothers spoke with Borel after the race as they made their way to the winners circle.  Calvin acknowledged each question with the “Yes Ma’am’s” and “No Ma’am’s” that long ago stamped him as a gentleman.  And then, choked by the emotion of the moment, Calvin Borel looked to the heavens in what Brothers acknowledged was a tribute of thanks to his late parents, and as the tears flowed, he said, “If they could only be here to see what I accomplished in my life.  It’s unbelievable.”

Brothers then asked Borel to describe his winning Derby ride aboard Mine That Bird.  Calvin said, “I just took him back…rode a ‘Street Sense’ race like Mr. Carl told me how to ride my horse…and taught me… and it paid off today.”  This was Calvin Borel at his best, humbly giving credit to Carl Nafzger, the Hall of Fame trainer who’s been an advocate for Borel for many years, including lots of times when other trainers weren’t giving him the recognition – or the mounts – that he probably deserved.

Calvin Borel is more than a jockey.  He’s a joyful, humble, polite gentleman.  And he is a horseman.  I think he’d tell you he’s never wanted to be anything else in his life, and I believe his conduct would make it impossible for you to see him in any other light. 

He’s at the race track at dawn every day, making the rounds of the barns, exercising horses that he hopes someday to ride in competition.  My bet is he was at Churchill first thing Sunday morning, which he would have done in any case, Derby winner or not.

A wise person once said, “When you love something it will give you all of its secrets.”  I can’t even begin to imagine what secrets the horses give to Calvin Borel every day.

Respectfully,

Paul H. Rothfuss