A standing ovation for Birdstone and Borel

Calvin Borel's unbridled joy as he paraded his 50-1 shot Mine That Bird toward the winner's circle at Churchill Downs today is the elixir that could help revive horse racing. You didn't have to wager a dime on this horse to fully share in the moment. I was also thrilled to see a son of classic winner Birdstone taking the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). He is definitely a sire to watch. The MarketWatch Index (see the April issue of The Blood-Horse MarketWatch) ranked Birdstone second among the freshman sires of 2008 with a 3.00. He was the only North American first-crop sire besides the leading sire Tapit to have an MWI of 3.00 or higher.

Thanks again, Calvin. And Birdstone, we'll be looking for more from you. — Eric Mitchell