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Longshot Triumphs at Derby

J.L. Orchard, Cinch Magazine

When trainer, Chip Woolley, hobbled on crutches towards the winner's circle of the 135th Kentucky Derby, he was probably laughing inside. Newscastors had run wild that morning catching celebrities' derby picks, and announcing scratched favorites such as I Want Revenge, Quality Road and Square Eddie. They discussed the oddity of Jenny Craig's horse being named Chocolate Candy. And of course, gave well-deserved attention to that Cinderella man, Tom McCarthy, and his $20,000 horse, General Quarters. They talked about the big money earners in the derby, the expensive purchases, and the new favorite Friesan Fire, who in the end placed 18th out of 19 entries after suffering a leg cut during the race.

 But when they talked about Woolley, it was all about his winter motorcycling accident and how he managed to drive with a broken right leg, 21 miles from New Mexico to bring his horse to the derby.

And who was his horse?

Who cared?

His entry, Mine That Bird was a 50-to-1 longshot. A gelding. In 135 years only 8 geldings had won the derby. Mine That Bird was Woolley's first horse to reach the derby.

Any horse can win the derby, but not just any horse is likely to … So when you do the math, add the calculations, scrutinize over the factors … really, who cared if Mine That Bird was going to attempt it? Who cared if the scrumpy Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent could sing … until she opened her mouth and did. In essence, that’s how Mine That Bird could make a man like Woolley laugh.

Coming into the homestretch, jockey Calvin Borel had one thing to do. Ride Mine That Bird like he did Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense two years earlier. From somewhere near the back of the herd, Mine That Bird weaved an almost unrecognizable path along the rail. When he started running he never stopped. He picked his gear and didn't pause, even in a very tight squeeze between the rail and another horse. I'm sure Pioneerof the Nile and the other leaders never saw him coming. In my own opinion, he soared, opened up a 6 3/4 length gap, a gap longer than Barbaro's 6 1/2 length win in 2006 and the largest win since Assault in 1946 when he won by 8 lengths. Mine That Bird finished at 2:02.66 on the sloppy Churchill track, bringing the biggest derby upset since Giacomo, exactly five years earlier.

Borel was ecstatic, sending praise and thanks to his deceased parents, only wishing they could see him now. This was Borel's second derby win and he savored every moment of it, high-fiving the passing track attendants during the abnormally long walk before the grandstands as they waited for trainer, Woolley, to make it to the winner's circle.

Once together, Woolley forfeited his crutches to give Borel a victory hug. Woolley also gave thanks to a Canadian man, Dave Cotey, who helped qualify Mine That Bird for the Derby. Mine That Bird has more connections to Cotey, and Canada, then some might realize. Mine That Bird was bred in Canada as well as trained and partly owned by Cotey in his two year old season prior to Mine That Bird's move to New Mexico.

Mine That Bird stole three stakes in Canada and was named Canada's top-two-year-old male in 2008. He is the third Canadian-bred Derby winner in history.

 The other Derby longshot, General Quarters placed tenth. Pioneerof the Nile and Musket Man placed second and third consecutively.

While Mine That Bird stood in the winner's circle of the Kentucky Derby, his jockey plucked a rose from the wreath over Mine That Bird's neck, kissed it, and threw it to the sky- a tribute to his parents. His eyes closed while the red petals drifted down around him.

Another Derby dream come true. Mine That Bird was originally purchased for $9,500 … yes, anybody can capture this dream.

The 2009 Kentucky Derby was run on Saturday, May 2, 2009.
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