Mine That
Bird Pulls 2nd Biggest Upset in Kentucky Derby History
by
Denis Cummings
May 2, 2009 - Mine That Bird, a 50-1 longshot, pulled a shocking upset in the
2009 Kentucky Derby, winning by 6 3/4 lengths.
On a sloppy track at Churchill Downs, 50-1 Mine That Bird shocked the horse
racing world with a convincing 6 3/4-length victory in the 135th running of the
Kentucky Derby. Pioneerof the Nile was second, followed by Musket Man and Papa
Clem.
Calvin Borel, a popular Cajun jockey famous for riding along the rail, won his
second Derby in three years, following his victory aboard Street Sense in the
2007 Derby. He also rode heavy favorite Rachel Alexandra to a record-breaking 20
1/4-length victory yesterday in the Kentucky Oaks.
Mine That Bird—son of Birdstone, who at 36-1 won the 2004 Belmont in a shocking
upset over Triple Crown hopeful Smarty Jones—was voted Canadian champion last
year as a 2-year-old, but finished 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was
then purchased by Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach and moved to New Mexico.
He failed to win either of his races against weak competition at New Mexico’s
Sunland Park this year. Nevertheless, his graded stakes earnings necessary to
qualify for the Kentucky Derby and his connections decided to enter him.
“We had a chance to be elsewhere, but we decided this might be a
once-in-a-lifetime chance for me and for the owners,” said trainer Chip Woolley
before the race. “So we're here. It's all kind of intimidating, but we're just
tickled to death.”
Woolley, a former rodeo rider from New Mexico who had never had a horse in the
Derby, hauled Mine That Bird 1,480 miles in a trailer attached to his Ford
pickup. He appeared Saturday at Churchill Downs with crutches, having broken his
right leg in a motorcycle accident.