John Clay’s post-Derby notes

By John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader sports columnist

Random post-Kentucky Derby notes:

■ For those lucky few who cashed that $103.20 win ticket thanks to a $2 bet on Mine That Bird, you have a 2001 decision to thank.

That was the year Churchill Downs eliminated mutuel field wagering.

In the old days, or pre-video-board days, tracks had only so many places on the tote board to show the betting odds for horses in a particular race.

Thus, two or more of the long shots were grouped together into what was a field bet. If you bet on one horse in the mutuel field, you got all the horses in the mutuel field.

Because you received more than one horse for your one wager, many patrons annually jumped on the field bet for the Derby. You got more bang for your buck.

But it also drove down the prices for the longest shots on the board. In 2000, for example, the field went off at 20-1. In 1999, the field went off at 11-1, while winner Charismatic was a 31-1 shot that paid $64.60 to win.

The last field horse to win the Kentucky Derby was Canonero II in 1971. Not surprisingly, that’s the same Derby winner veteran trainer Carl Nafzger compared surprise winner Mine That Bird to after this year’s running. And, as part of six horses in the mutuel field in 1971, at odds of $8.70-to-1, Canonero II paid just $19.40 to win.

The guess here is that had there been field betting Saturday, Mine That Bird would have been included. Why, trainer Chip Woolley himself joked Sunday morning he was surprised his entry didn’t go off at 100-1.

■ Since mutuel field betting was eliminated in 2001, a total of 29 horses have gone off at odds of 50-1 or greater in the Derby.

Four of those 29 have hit the board. At 55-1, Invisible Ink ran second in 2001. At 50-1, Giacomo won the 2005 Derby. And 71-1 shot Closing Argument finished second that same year. Now 50-1 shot Mine That Bird won this year.

Twenty of those 29 long shots finished no better than 10th. Twelve of those 20 finished no better than 15th.

■ Consider, too, that between Donerail’s win in 1913, which paid $184.90 on a $2 bet, and Giacomo in 2005, only four Derby winners paid $50 or more.

They were Exterminator in 1918 ($61.20), Gallahadion in 1940 ($72.40), Dark Star in 1953 ($51.80), Proud Clarion in 1967 ($62.20).

We’ve now had two Derby winners in the past four years pay more than $100 to win.

■ Mine That Bird was the 17th betting choice, ahead of only Join in the Dance (51-1) and Atomic Rain (55-1). Starting with 2001, the 17th choice among the bettors has finished 10th, 18th, 13th, 18th, 14th, 19th and 15th. (Only 16 horses ran in 2003.)

■ Friesan Fire’s 18th-place finish was the worst by the post-time favorite in the Derby since Total Departure, coupled in an entry with Marfa, finished 20th out of 20 in the 1983 Derby.

■ Mine That Bird’s original selling price of $9,500 is the lowest amount at public auction for an eventual Derby winner since 1971 champion Canonero II, who sold for $1,200 as a yearling.

Of course, co-owners Leonard Blach and Mark Allen paid $400,000 last year for the Canadian 2-year-old champion, but the yearling price was quite the bargain.

Last year’s Derby winner, Big Brown, sold for $60,000 at the 2006 Fasig-Tipton sales.

Sackatoga Stables paid $22,000 for 2003 Derby winner Funny Cide as a yearling. Seattle Slew, the 1977 Triple Crown winner, brought $17,500 as a yearling. Silver Charm, the 1997 Kentucky Derby winner, sold for $16,500. Dust Commander, who won the 1970 Derby for Robert E. Lehmann of Paris, sold for just $6,500. But that was way back in 1968.

■ Remember the talk last year that the Eight Belles tragedy would turn off potential racing viewers?

Without a compelling favorite or a dominating pre-race story, this year’s Kentucky Derby drew its best TV ratings in 17 years. Go figure.

May 5, 2009 | Filed Under Latest Headlines | 2 Comments 

A look back: The best of Derby Week

By Alicia Wincze of the Lexington Herald-Leader

So many story lines and nuggets emerged before and after this year’s Kentucky Derby that — even if our country’s newspapers weren’t shrinking — it was difficult to fit everything. With that in mind, we decided to put together a “Best of … ” for the 135th Run for the Roses.

Best quote that had to be censored: Bob Baffert, trainer of runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, describing how his wife, Jill, first noticed Mine That Bird coming through on the rail: “I was focused on (Pioneerof the Nile) because he was battling it out there, and my wife picked (Mine That Bird) up on the rail. She said, ‘Who the (bleep) is that?’ and then I heard her say, ‘It’s that (bleeping) Calvin Borel!’ “ Jill, you aptly summed up what most of us were thinking.

Best-looking horse in the post parade: Not that it helped his cause once the race started, but Desert Party could have shut down any beauty pageant with the way he showed himself. His mane was perfect, his flesh was taut, and his bay coat was dappled. Simply stunning. Sad to hear he suffered an ankle injury in the race. Runner-up: Mr. Hot Stuff.

Best reason to retire: Trainer Larry Jones didn’t get the fairy tale ending in the Derby he hoped for with Friesan Fire, but that doesn’t change his reasons for wanting to step away from the game for a while. “I’ve got a grandson running around, and today (last Monday) was the fourth time I’ve seen him, and he’s 16 months old. I haven’t seen a single grandkid open Christmas presents. We’re always with the horses. Every Christmas Day, Cindy and I are with the horses for the last 20 years.”

Best couple: Hal Wiggins, trainer of superfilly Rachel Alexandra, and his wife, Renee. They’ve been together for more than 40 years, but Renee still lights up talking about how Hal showed her how to read the racing form on their first date. Runner-up: (tie) Larry and Cindy Jones and Bob and Jill Baffert (How could you not love Jill for that wonderfully honest race description?).

Best show of resiliency: Despite going through the heartache of having to scratch I Want Revenge the morning of the Kentucky Derby, co-owner David Lanzman and trainer Jeff Mullins still showed up in the paddock before the race and handled a slew of well-wishers who came up to offer condolences. Lanzman then proceeded to take the giant placard that was supposed to designate I Want Revenge’s stall in the paddock and held it up for fans to see as he made his way through the tunnel before the race.

Best effort despite a meltdown: Papa Clem was having a tantrum that would put a toddler to shame during the post parade, but still pulled it together to finish a solid fourth in the Derby in a three-horse battle with Pioneerof the Nile and Musket Man.

Best legend in the making: Rachel Alexandra, ’nuff said. The Derby contenders ought to drop to their knees in gratitude that she wasn’t nominated for the Triple Crown.

Best reasoning/foreshadowing: Trainer D. Wayne Lukas, describing why he was taking a shot with three fillies in the Kentucky Oaks against overwhelming favorite and eventual winner Rachel Alexandra: “It’s the Kentucky Oaks, and it’s a career-making race in a lot of ways. When you ask owners to put up substantial amounts of money … you need to give them the opportunity to give them residual value. If we could run second or third or even fourth, putting that on a filly’s résumé when she goes to the broodmare band is significant.” Sure enough, Lukas managed to snag that coveted second-place finish with Stone Legacy.

May 5, 2009 | Filed Under Latest Headlines | Leave a Comment 

Winning breeder says he’s ‘in shock’

By Linda Blackford of the Lexington Herald-Leader

Bill Betz has been breeding Thoroughbreds for 25 years and has bred a lot of nice ones, including El Corredor, Roman Ruler and Dubai Escapade.

Before Saturday, he wouldn’t have put Mine That Bird in the same category as those horses. In fact, he was so sure the bay gelding didn’t have a chance that he didn’t even bother to leave his farm on Mount Horeb Pike to make the trip to Louisville.

“That shows what I know,” Betz said, shortly after Mine That Bird pulled off the second biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history. “We’re all in shock over here.”

Betz, who bred the horse in partnership with James Blackburn and Peter Lamantia, said he’s been surprised so many times the other way, when he had what he thought was a great horse who didn’t make the grade.

“To have one like this, it defies all logic, and to have been so far behind at the beginning … I was thinking I hope this doesn’t turn out to be too embarrassing.”

Betz has liked the horse’s breeding since he came up with it. The sire, Birdstone, won the Belmont in an upset over Triple Crown contender Smarty Jones. The grandsire, Grindstone, won the Derby in 1996, and the dam, Mining My Own, was by Smart Strike, leading sire in 2007 and 2008.

“I didn’t think his breeding would stop him,” Betz said. “I just didn’t think he was a good enough horse.”

Mine That Bird was part of Birdstone’s first crop of foals. His stud fee was only $10,000, which isn’t much compared to many stallions around Lexington.

Mine That Bird “was a nice-moving, athletic horse, but a brown yearling by a stallion who stood for $10,000,” Betz said.

Since Mine That Bird was born, Betz’s partner, Phil Needham, retired and took Mining My Own with him. So it’s not clear whether Mine That Bird will have any full brothers or sisters any time soon.

One thing is certain: Birdstone, who stands at Gaines-way Farm, will now have a stud fee that’s higher than $10,000.

Betz isn’t sure whether his life or business will change much.

“You have to take your wins and losses the same way,” he said. “It shows how bizarre this game is — there are people doing this their whole lives, and nobody really knows what’s going to happen.”

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    • May 2, 2009 | Filed Under Latest Headlines, Mine That Bird | Leave a Comment 

    The winning owners: Two good buddies, one good time

    By Chip Cosby of the Lexington Herald-Leader

    Mine That Bird, the 135th winner of the Kentucky Derby, originally went off the market for a mere $9,500 as a yearling in 2007. That looks like quite the bargain now after Mine That Bird, a 50-1 shot, won on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

    Co-owners Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach didn’t get Mine That Bird quite that cheaply. They paid $400,000 to purchase the horse before the 2008 Breeders’ Cup.

    While Allen and Blach have been longtime acquaintances, they didn’t become business partners until just before they purchased Mine That Bird. And with their horse’s miraculous run, they’ve suddenly become major players in the horse racing industry.

    “We’ve been friends for years,” Blach said of Allen. “We’re very proud of this horse. It just shows what can be done when a couple of buddies get together, go to the races, have a good time, a little fun and dream a little bit and your dreams will come true.”

    Blach said he really thought Mine That Bird had a lot of talent.

    “We just haven’t been able to see it all yet,” he said. “It made my heart sink when he was last when he came around the first time. I was just glad to see him that far in front when he came around the second time.”

    Allen and Blach came to Louisville without any Derby experience. Blach grew up in Colorado and has spent much his life around horses: He was in the equine business for 10 years after finishing veterinary school at Colorado State. Blach owns Buena Suerte Equine, a public breeding farm in Roswell, N.M.

    “I’ve always dealt a little bit in Thoroughbreds,” he said.

    Allen, who owns Double Eagle Ranch in Roswell, N.M., got into racing by mucking stalls at the age of 12.

    Both Allen and Blach displayed a down-to-earth, “Aw shucks” cowboy nature when addressing the media after the race.

    When asked if there was any haggling during negotiations, Allen said, “There was no haggling. They wanted $400,000. We paid it.”

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    • Wednesday morning training and the Derby Draw

    • I Want Revenge workouts | 7 Derby horses do final workouts

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      • May 2, 2009 | Filed Under Latest Headlines, Mine That Bird | Leave a Comment 

      Calvin Borel thought of parents after victory

      By Mark Story, Lexington Herald-Leader sports columnist

      Calvin Borel had just crossed the finish line, completing one of the more stunning upsets in the history of American sports.

      Having guided a completely overlooked 50-1 shot named Mine That Bird to victory in the 135th Kentucky Derby, the ebullient Cajun looked upward and pointed to the sky.

      He was thinking of his late parents.

      You have to think Ella and Clovis Borel would be amazed at what their son has done in the past three years.

      Most every one else is.

      After a long career as little more than a journeyman, the 42-year-old Borel has launched a mid-life career ascension for the ages and the aged.

      With the patented “Calvin Bo-Rail” ride that Borel delivered to guide a one-time $9,500 yearling purchase to victory in America’s signature horse race, the pride of St. Martin Parish, La., is putting together in his 40s, long after most jockeys peak, a resume befitting an elite jockey.

      On Friday, Borel sat astride the majestic Rachel Alexandra as that filly obliterated the Kentucky Oaks field by more than 20 lengths.

      Then on Saturday, Mine That Bird’s late-running 63/4-length win makes Calvin Borel the winner of two of the past three Run for the Roses.

      It made Ella and Clovis’ youngest child — the family used to call him “Boo-Boo” because it was thought Calvin’s conception was a surprise to his parents — the first rider to sweep the Kentucky
      Derby and Kentucky Oaks in the same year since Jerry Bailey (Sea Hero and Dispute) in 1993.

      A jockey linking one’s name with Bailey is akin to a quarterback sharing a passing record with Peyton Manning.

      Rarefied air, especially for a jockey who spent much of his career as a second-tier rider on the Kentucky circuit — capable but rarely given a shot on the big horses in the big races.

      “When it all goes well,” Borel said, “it seems like a ball that just keeps rolling.”

      His Derby-winning ride two years ago aboard Street Sense was vintage Borel because it featured the jockey following his favored path right up against the rail.

      In some ways, his ride aboard Mine That Bird was deja vu all over again, except even more daring.

      Mine That Bird appeared to get jostled out of the gate, then was shuffled far back. At the quarter pole, the son of 2004 Belmont winner Birdstone was dead last by a whopping six lenghts in a field of 19.

      In the Churchill Downs grandstand, Mine That Bird trainer Bennie “Chip” Wooley had a sinking feeling.

      “I was thinking I was going to make a real showing in my first Derby,” Wooley said sarcastically.

      Instead, for a jockey known for his patience, Borel had the field just where he wanted it.

      When word first came that Borel might get the mount on Mine That Bird, the jockey and his fiance, Lisa Funk, went on YouTube to watch the horse’s races at New Mexico’s Sunland Park.

      “The horse was forwardly placed,” Funk said of what they saw. “Calvin watched it and said he thought he needed to be taken back, then make on quick run.”

      Still last at the three-quarters pole, Borel finally asked the gelding to move. As horses tired in front of them, Borel and Mine That Bird roared along the rail.

      At one point, Borel squeezed his mount through a miniscule hole inside a tiring horse and the two kept pounding toward the front.

      The move looked spectacular.

      “It wasn’t that big a deal,” Borel said. “He’s a little horse.”

      By the top of the stretch, Mine That Bird was putting a head in front. By the finish, he’d won going away.

      Atop the horse, Borel could be seen laughing uproarously. He kept screaming “50-1! 50-!”

      Suddenly, Calvin Borel has earned the right to be considered with America’s top jockeys. At the least he’s earned that right when races are run at Churchill Downs.

      “Calvin Borel helped our horse,” said trainer Wooley. “What a great, great ride.”

      For Borel, a sudden sensation in his 40s, it’s more like a great, great run. If only his mom and dad could see him now.

      “I just wish they could have seen what I’ve accomplished in my life,” Borel said, his voice cracking with emotion.

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