The Magic "Rail"

For those who follow Kentucky racing, jockey Calvin Borel has a nickname: Calvin "Bo-Rail". Why you ask? He has a knack of getting every one of his horses on the inside fence (aka The Rail) as much as possible. It is not always a winning formula but it was magic on Saturday again at Churchill Downs.

Just two years ago, Borel captivated a nation with his daring inside move aboard the favored Street Sense to capture the Kentucky Derby. And the more you watched it, the more you were impressed with Borel's instinct for conserving as much if his horse's energy by keeping him along the inside.

He tried a similar move last year with Denis of Cork as he kept the chestnut on the inside most of the way and netted a third place finish.

Fast forward back to present day and Borel repeated his tried and true style. The horses on the front end were going fast and Mine That Bird settled on the rail and then on the final turn, he asked his horse for run and took off. In a matter of few seconds along the "Bo-Rail", Mine That Bird went from last to first and drew away for the victory.

Just 24 hours before the Derby, Borel was on top of the world when Rachel Alexandra won the Kentucky Oaks by an unofficial record of 20 3/4-lengths. (He became the fifth jockey to sweep the Oaks and Derby in the same year.)

So if both horses meet up in either the Preakness or Belmont which horse would Borel choose?

"Oh, I'd ride her. Like I told you, I think she's the best horse in the country right now."

Very rare you would hear a jockey willing give up a Derby winning horse but his confidence in the filly is well founded.

And, as a side note, if Rachel Alexandra had run in the Kentucky Derby, Borel would have stayed on the filly. As a result, you can be sure whomever would have ridden Mine That Bird, would not have taken the "Bo-Rail" and it's fairly certain we'd have a different horse wearing roses.

When the top 3-year-olds reunite in Baltimore for the Preakness in two weeks, you can be sure that you will find "Bo-Rail" in his familiar spot. And you can be even more certain, his fellow jockeys will know exactly where he is too. If not, he again will be gone in a flash.

Photos courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire