How Important is a Jockey Switch and What Happened in the Kentucky Derby?
To say the horse racing public was stunned by Mine That Bird’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is an understatement. I have people who don’t even usually follow horse racing stopping me and asking me what happened. Many people seem to be under the impression that Calvin Borel was a big factor in the upset victory. I agree that Calvin Borel may have ridden the race of his lifetime, but I also have to say it was also a very lucky ride. He is a good rider, no question about it and it wasn’t his first brilliant ride in a Derby, either. He rode in a similar fashion on Street Sense and also won the race. Does this mean the jockeys who rode Mine That Bird before this race were lousy jockeys? Certainly not. It is starting to appear that Calvin may be a specialist, though. Some jockeys are just better with three year olds or on certain courses. The same can be found in other areas of life. Once in a while, for whatever reason, a person develops a flair or skill at doing something in a particular
