Mine That Bird dug up an upset for a stunning win in the Kentucky Derby with a dynamic run through the mud at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The 3-year-old colt and jockey Calvin Borel found room along the rail deep in the straight then pulled away for a 6¾-length win to give the long shot one of the biggest upsets in the 135-year history of the race. It was the largest margin of victory in the Derby since Assault won by eight lengths in 1946. Barbaro won in 2006 by 6½ lengths. The Derby win was the second in three years for Borel, who used a similar run to send Street Sense to the winner's circle in 2007. Borel thrust his right arm in triumph as he crossed the wire, and trainer Chip Woolley hobbled to hoist the trophy. The trainer from New Mexico broke his right leg in a motorcycle accident over the winter and drove his colt 21 hours to Churchill Downs. “They'll know who I am now,” Woolley said from underneath his massive black cowboy hat. Mine That Bird joins Giacomo, who won in 2005, as one of the most unlikely victors. Mine That Bird covered the 1¼ miles (2,000 meters) in 2:02.66. Pioneerof the Nile held off Musket Man for second, but neither was a match for the unheralded colt from New Mexico. Friesan Fire, who became the favorite after I Want Revenge was scratched hours earlier, finished a distant 18th in the 19-horse field. I Want Revenge was scratched over concerns about a tender ankle and wet track conditions. I Want Revenge was the first morning favorite in Derby history to withdraw from the famed Churchill Downs race on the day of the event even though X-ray and ultrasound tests could not discover any damage in the 3-year-old colt. “When the word came out that running could hurt the horse, I looked at both doctors and said, ‘Then this is no debate,'” owner David Lanzman said. “'What are we talking about? We'll fight another day.'”
