In A World By Himself

Simply put, jockey Calvin Borel has become one of the greatest riders in Kentucky Derby history.

After another brilliant rail skimming ride nearly the entire race, Borel guided Super Saver to a 2 1/2 length victory over a fast closing Ice Box.

There's nothing fancy or difficult about what Borel does. He just puts his horse on the rail and saves as much ground as possible. And, despite his nickname of Calvin Bo-Rail, other jockeys are powerless to stop him in the "Run for the Roses."

To put into perspective of his accomplishments, here are some stats to ponder:

• His three Derby wins puts him in a tie for fourth all-time. (Five other jockey have three wins).

• He has three wins from his last four appearances is a streak only bested by Bill Hartack's three consecutive wins (1960-62-64).

• Borel's has three wins from just eight starts (.375 winning percentage). Earl Sande is the only other rider to have the 3-for-8 record.

• If you wagered $2 across the board (Win-Place-Show) on Borel in the last four years, you have turned a profit of $226.20 (thanks to ESPN's Pat Forde).

• He now only trails Hall of Fame riders Eddie Arcaro (5), Bill Hartack (5) and Bill Shoemaker (4) on the all-time wins list.

It remains to be seen if Super Saver is a Triple Crown quality horse but one thing we know for certain, Borel is one an elite category and we should expect him to add to that total for years to come.

Photo courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire