Calvin Borel strikes again.

I've never really understood the fascination with horse-racing that some people have. I understand the thrill of it all, but to me, it just seems like a sport that degrades the horse. Most racehorses are only babies, after all (two to four years old), and they're run like machines until their legs break or their feet go bad. To make matters worse, even the healthiest horses don't get respect in the eyes of the public. These thousand-pound, fast as lightning, muscled-out athletes get about as much respect as circus horses. In just five minutes of watching pre-Kentucky Derby coverage today, I heard the top contenders of the Derby referred to as "the ponies" three different times. "You've come out here to bet the ponies?" someone asked. Looking at the likes of animal gods such as Barbaro and Big Brown, I have to say, there is nothing pony about the horseracing powerhouses of today.


Despite my qualms about the racing industry, I'm not going to lie: I'm a big fan of Derby Day. Our yearly tradition is to invite a ton of friends and family over to the house and drink Mint Juleps and eat Kentucky Fried Chicken in cotton sundresses and, yes, obnoxious sunhats. For one day, we rally around the Run for the Roses and watching the history of long-shot winners unfold before our eyes, we've all come to realize that on Derby Day, nothing is impossible.

And then we all get together for a repeat celebration on the day of the Preakness--a less dramatic party, more intimate party but a party nonetheless. And if there happens to be a Triple Crown contender by the time the Belmont rolls around, we call in the troops for that, too. But I think we'll be watching all three races this year, regardless, thanks to super-special Louisiana-born jockey Calvin Borel.

I don't think I noticed Calvin before last year, when he hailed as Rachel Alexandra's main jockey. I hadn't paid him much attention when he won the Derby on Street Sense in 2007, mostly because I care more about the horses themselves than the actual jockeys or trainers or owners. But Rachel Alexandra is hands-down my favorite racehorse to date, and when he crossed the finish line first in last year's Derby on Mine That Bird, I screamed, "That's Rachel Alexandra's jockey!" (P.S. I had the lovely fortune of seeing her race at the Fair Grounds this year. She is one beautiful, fantastic little girl.)

Calvin, the Cajun-accented "Yes, ma'am; no, sir" man, has stolen both mine and my family's hearts. And with his third Kentucky Derby win in four years this afternoon on Super Saver, I think my whole house rejoiced. In the words of Derby trainer Bob Baffert, "It's that frickin' Calvin Borel!" Not that Calvin deserves all the credit. Super Saver's half-brother, Monarchos, was the most recent horse to break the two-minute barrier in the Kentucky Derby; and of course, with a trainer like Todd Pletcher, today's Derby win was a long time coming.

But of course, this win has everyone talking about the Triple Crown. Calvin Borel proclaimed to reporters, "That's it, that one right there. I'm going all the way this year. I have to do it." With contenders like Ice Box and Lookin at Lucky, the feat could be more difficult than usual. But can the Superstar and his Super Saver pull it off? We'll have to hang on until May 15th to see.