Borel Pulls Off Derby Upset

Calvin Borel pulls off an upset! Not only did he win the Kentucky Derby on Mine That Bird, but he also won the KY Oaks yesterday on Rachel Alexandra - awesome!!


(AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

My Derby Pick

I have a truly scientific way of picking my Kentucky Derby horse - I always bet on the gray horse or the filly. This year it will be #12, General Quarters.



At age 75, Tom McCarthy, a retired biology teacher and high school principal, on the fringes of horse racing for five decades, has his Derby horse. McCarthy claimed General Quarters - a gorgeous gray colt - last year for $20,000, and the colt has already won the prestigious Blue Grass Stakes, which earned McCarthy $460,000. Before General Quarters, the trainer had career earnings of $229,020.



There is one very strong factor that could given General Quarters an edge: That's the weather. With a 70 percent chance of rain and a sloppy track, General Quarters is one of only a handful of horses that has performed well on muddy tracks.

Isn't he beautiful? And he loves the slop! A gray horse that can run on an off track - what could be better?

(Photo copyright David Stephenson of the Lexington Herald-Leader)