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Calvin BorelAmerican rider
Date of Birth: 07.11.1966
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Calvin Borel
Calvin Borel, an American jockey known for his emotional and vibrant personality, competes in thoroughbred horse racing. With a career spanning 25 years, he has gained recognition for his unwavering adherence to professional ethics. Borel weighs 53 kg and stands at 1.63 m tall. He resides in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife Lisa Funk.
Accomplishments
On May 1, 2009, Borel won the Kentucky Oaks on a horse named Rachel Alexandra. Two weeks later, on May 16, 2009, he emerged victorious in the Preakness Stakes at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, riding the same mare. Borel has also claimed victory in the Kentucky Derby in 2007, 2009, and 2010. His most notable Kentucky Derby win came in 2009 when he rode Mine That Bird to triumph, marking the second biggest upset in the history of the race since Assault's victory in 1946.
Early Life and Career
Calvin Borel was born on November 7, 1966, in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States. Like fellow jockeys Randy Romero, Kent Desormeaux, and Shane Sellers, Borel began riding horses and racing on rural tracks at a young age. He participated in his first race at the age of eight. His older brother, Cecil, was also a jockey for a while but had to discontinue racing thoroughbreds due to weight control issues. Cecil went on to become a horse trainer at Delta Downs in Vinton, Louisiana.
Borel made a breakthrough in his career in June 2006 when he won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs with a total prize fund of $750 thousand. His horse, Seek Gold, was considered an underdog in the race, but Borel's skillful riding led them to victory over the favored horse, Perfect Drift. In the same year, he achieved another significant milestone by winning his first Breeders' Cup race, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, on a grass track.
Continued Success
Borel's success continued as he triumphed in the 2007 Kentucky Derby aboard the horse Street Sense, defeating the bay horse Hard Spun. On July 5, 2007, he became the sixth jockey in Churchill Downs history to win six races in a single race card. Celebrating victory on July 5, 2008, in the Bashford Manor Stakes, a Grade III race, Borel became the 34th jockey in North American thoroughbred history to reach 4500 career wins.
On May 2, 2009, Borel celebrated a double victory by winning the Kentucky Derby on Mine That Bird, just a day after riding Rachel Alexandra to victory in the Kentucky Oaks. This marked only the second time in the history of horse racing, starting from 1993, that a jockey won both races. Borel went on to win the Preakness Stakes on the same horse on May 16, 2009. In 2010, he was honored with the George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, one of the most prestigious awards for jockeys.
Later Years
On August 20, 2011, Borel was arrested in Evansville, Indiana, allegedly for driving under the influence. On March 7, 2012, he celebrated his 5000th victory at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He dedicated this significant milestone to his agent, Jerry Hesson, who had been supporting Borel for over 20 years. Hesson was in need of such encouragement as he was battling serious health issues at the time. Borel became the 26th North American jockey to achieve 5000 wins.
Through his tenacity, skill, and dedication, Calvin Borel has established himself as one of the most accomplished jockeys in the world of horse racing. His passion for the sport and his unwavering commitment to excellence continue to inspire and captivate racing enthusiasts worldwide.
