What a Race!!!

Woooo-hooooo!! I almost wish I could repeat some of the Cajun screams and yells that Calvin Borel let loose after winning the Kentucky Derby yesterday. I liked Chocolate Candy's pedigree yesterday, but he just didn't catch my fancy otherwise; none of the other crowd favorites took my fancy, either. So I looked at owners and trainers, and finally, jockeys... I've always liked the Bayou Boys - Eddie Delahoussaye, Kent Desormeaux, Calvin Borel - Eddie D. has retired; Kent had a mount, but I couldn't get enthused over him; and Calvin was riding an unheralded gelding, who ran 12th in the Breeders Cup Juvenile, but was the 2-year-old Champion in Canada. I looked at Mine That Bird's pedigree again - great-grandsires included Unbridled, Mr. Prospector, and Storm Bird and Vice Regent (the latter two are sons of Northern Dancer and maternal sires).... So I picked Mine That Bird because of his jockey (the major factor) and his pedigree and racing past (the minor factors). Now I wish I'd been somewhere that I could have actually placed a bet, as a $2 ticket to win on the horse brought back $103.20. Mine That Bird will celebrate his 3rd birthday on May 10th, 6 days prior to his racing in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico. Calvin Borel will celebrate his 43rd birthday on November 7th, 2 weeks after the 2009 Breeders Cup at Santa Anita.

When Calvin and Mine That Bird got squeezed coming out of the gate, I started watching the rail, knowing that was Calvin's favorite path. When Mine That Bird came bursting through and passed the leaders like they were standing still, I knew that I had picked a winner. - And, by the way, Calvin was also the jockey on Rachel Alexandra winning the Kentucky Oaks on Friday. - Just before the Derby began, I again had three squirrels sitting inside my living room eating nuts; this time a squabble broke out over the last available peanut, and I ended up with a squirrel on top of the TV, one in the kitchen sink, and one in the bathroom. My kits didn't know which way they should go... I got all of them back outside within three minutes, using the wide armed stance that one uses to "shoo" chickens ahead of you. Then, even though I have no bird feeders hanging, Lovey caught a white-eared sparrow on the wing, breaking it's neck instantly. So I consider yesterday a nice wildlife day (other than the death of the bird) ....