Published: April 28, 2008 09:13 pm            

Derby Notebook: Borel back in Derby Field

Last year's winning jockey will ride Denis of Cork

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Calvin Borel will be back running for the roses on Saturday.

The jockey of last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense will return to the field on Saturday riding Denis of Cork.

Borel’s spot in the field for Derby was cleared on Monday. When trainer Todd Pletcher decided to have Lexington Stakes winner Behindatthebar skip the Derby and focus on the Preakness, the door swung open for Borel.

Behindatthebar was 17th on the graded-stakes earnings list, which determines who runs in the race if more than 20 are entered. Denis of Cork, which ran fifth in the Illinois Derby, was 21st. The move means Borel has a shot at becoming the first jockey since Eddie Delahoussaye in 1982 and 1983 to win two straight Derbys.

“Sure it would be an honor,” said Borel of a chance to ride back-to-back Derbys. “We’re thrilled to be back.”

Denis of Cork is not nearly as highly regarded as last year’s entry for Borel, who rode Street Sense perfectly along the rail and into the winner’s circle.

Denis of Cork, the 3-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday, isn’t an overwhelming physical specimen, but Borel said the horse has grown since January when Borel guided him to victory in an allowance race at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

“He’s not a baby, he’s not a small, small horse and he’s blossomed out really good,” Borel said. “He’s got a lot of stamina. You’ve just got to ride him the right way.”



Big Arrival

Florida Derby winner Big Brown made his anticipated arrival Monday afternoon.

The undefeated thoroughbred, who many predict will open as a favorite following Wednesday’s post-position draw, was the last of the perceived major contenders to arrive on the backside at Churchill.

Lightly raced with only three career starts, including a turf maiden win and an off-the-turf allowance, no horse has won the Derby with three or less starts in nearly a century.

Colonel John’s fast workout

Colonel John ran the fastest 5 furlongs Sunday in his last major workout before the 134th Kentucky Derby, when the California colt will race on dirt for the first time.

Colonel John completed 5 furlongs in 57.80 seconds, quickest of 62 workouts at the distance.

“It wasn’t my intention to go that fast, but it wasn’t my intention the track was going to be this fast,” trainer Eoin Harty said. “I think it’s more the track conditions than my horse doing a little too much.”

The big question at the start of Derby week was how Colonel John would handle a dirt surface, because he has raced and trained almost exclusively on the newer synthetic surfaces in California since beginning his career at Del Mar last summer.

“I thought he handled it very well. It looks like he hasn’t changed his style or his motion,” Harty said, pointing out that Colonel John trained on dirt as a 2-year-old before coming to his stable.



Some information for this story was obtained from the Associated Press

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.