Free Republic

BALTIMORE (AP)—A year ago, Calvin Borel jumped from the Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird onto Rachel Alexandra and won the Preakness. This month, after winning his third Derby in four years, the standout jockey decided to stay aboard Super Saver for the Preakness and take a shot at capturing the Triple Crown. The one similarity is that Borel entered the 2009 Preakness and Saturday’s 135th edition certain his ride would end in the winner’s circle. Heck, he predicted a Triple Crown for Super Saver two weeks ago and won’t back down from that assessment.

Former Journeyman now among the greatest jockeys ever For Calvin Borel to complete his improbable middle-aged trek from career journeyman to Kentucky Derby legend, all it took was borrowing from Yogi Berra. It was just some deja vu all over again. For the second straight year, Borel, the ebullient 43-year-old Cajun jockey, dominated the Kentucky Derby with a rail-hugging ride that led into the Churchill Downs winner's circle. One year after Borel's dramatic ride on 50-1 long shot Mine That Bird produced one of the most unlikely winners in the Derby history, Borel did it again with trainer Todd Pletcher's...

Jockey Calvin Borel’s victory aboard James Tafel’s Street Sense in the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) was his first in the Run for the Roses, and now that special moment at Churchill Downs will take the Louisiana native to a White House state dinner in honor of Queen Elizabeth II of England. Borel’s agent, Jerry Hissam, said May 6 that White House social secretary Amy Zantzinger had invited Borel and his fiancé Lisa Funk to travel to Washington, D.C. May 7 for the dinner hosted by President George W. Bush and First Lady...