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6303. wabbit - 4/8/2009 4:28:04 PM  The Tampa Bay Rays got an early reminder that reaching the playoffs for a second straight time will be at least as hard as the first. Josh Beckett struck out 10 in seven innings of two-hit ball to lead the Red Sox to a 5-3 victory over Tampa Bay on Tuesday in a makeup of their rained-out opener and a rematch of the AL championship series that the Rays won to reach the franchise's first World Series. AL MVP Dustin Pedroia homered on the second pitch he saw this season, and Jason Varitek also homered to help Boston get off to a fast start against the team that edged it by two games for the AL East title last year. For Beckett, who was recovering from a side strain when he faced the Rays in the playoffs, it was a chance to show the form that made him a 20-game winner and Cy Young contender in 2007.
Jair Jurrjens and four relievers combined on a six-hitter, Kelly Johnson and Chipper Jones hit solo homers and the Atlanta Braves beat the defending World Series champions 4-0 on Tuesday night. The Phillies are off to an 0-2 start for the fourth straight year. They'll receive their 2008 championship rings Wednesday before trying to avoid a three-game sweep. Jurrjens (1-0) beat a guy twice his age. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up four hits and walked three in 5 2-3 impressive innings. Jeff Bennett gave up a single to the only batter he faced before Eric O'Flaherty got the next four outs. Rafael Soriano pitched the eighth and Mike Gonzalez finished.
The Minnesota Twins finally got their offense going in the ninth inning - with a big assist from Seattle closer Brandon Morrow. Alexi Casilla's two-run single capped Minnesota's three-run rally with two outs in the ninth and the Twins beat the Mariners 6-5 on Tuesday night. Brought in to protect a 5-3 lead, Morrow (0-1) retired his first two batters before walking the bases loaded. Miguel Batista relieved and Denard Span chopped an RBI infield single to third that made it 5-4. Casilla lined the next pitch from Batista up the middle, scoring Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher.
MLB news
6304. wabbit - 4/8/2009 4:28:31 PM  Unbeaten, unchallenged and national champions. After one last blowout, Connecticut could finally exhale and take its place in basketball history. Tina Charles had 25 points and grabbed 19 rebounds Tuesday night as UConn routed Louisville 76-54 and captured the Huskies' sixth title. UConn won every one of its 39 games by double digits, a first in college basketball.
Charles was the star of the final victory. She commanded both ends of the floor and Louisville, which lost badly to UConn for the third time this season, had no one who could stop her. Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma had said before the tournament that his junior center would be the key to UConn winning the title. A year after he benched her in the NCAAs for inconsistent play, Charles delivered, 11-for-13 from the field, and fell just one rebound short of becoming only the second player ever in a championship game to have at least 20 points and 20 rebounds. She was named the outstanding player of the Final Four.
Maya Moore and Montgomery each added 18 points for the Huskies. Angel McCoughtry finished off her stellar career for Louisville with 23 points. Candyce Bingham was the only other Cardinal in double figures with 10 points as Louisville (34-5) shot a dismal 31 percent from the floor.
NCAA Womens basketball
6305. judithathome - 4/8/2009 7:49:33 PM On to the Kentucky Derby!! Comin' up in a few short weeks! 6306. wabbit - 4/8/2009 8:10:00 PM I read somewhere that the Kentucky Derby is the second biggest party day, after the Super Bowl (and not including New Year's Eve, I suppose). I never would have guessed. Churchill Downs has a new website dedicated to the Kentucky Derby Party.
My sister and I usually get on the phone to watch the race together. We get to listen to each other call the race and yell and scream and root our picks on. We've done pretty well lately and we never pick the favorite — too bad we don't have real money down. I had Eight Belles last year, sadly. My sister had the winners of the all but one of the previous races that day. 6307. judithathome - 4/8/2009 10:16:25 PM Well, I always have a great Derby Day when it falls on my birthday...which it does quite often. 6308. wabbit - 4/8/2009 11:22:05 PM Alas, you have a few years until that happens again — it's a couple days early for you this year, isn't it?
I haven't got a favorite yet, but I'll begin paying close attention now. 6309. robertjayb - 4/11/2009 3:19:13 AM Goddam French bastards. They are determined to plague Lance Armstrong forever... He won their race seven (count 'em, seven times) They are so discombobulated by this Yankee afront that they feel honor (Snark) bound to keep him from riding even as a domestique in an eighth race. Pissants. Employing the internationally famous French facility for bureaucratic flim-flam, they send out clerks to badger this unquestionably legitimate champion. What does Bernard Hinault, a real badger and another genuine champion say about this shameful farce?
April 10 (Bloomberg) -- Record seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said that he likely will be banned from returning to cycling’s premier race because of a drug-testing dispute with France’s anti-doping agency.
Armstrong, speaking in a video posted on his foundation’s Web site and Twitter, said that the French agency, known as AFLD, will probably ban him from the July race because of his actions before the March 17 drug test.
“There is a very high likelihood that they will prohibit me from riding in the tour,” Armstrong said in the video.
Outfuckingrageous! To the barricades! Drape the statue of liberty.
Layfayette weeps!
6310. wabbit - 4/11/2009 4:23:05 PM Bernard Hinault seems to be doing very well for himself as a farmer.
...France's anti-doping agency, known as AFLD, has said the American did not fully cooperate with a drug tester when he showed up at Armstrong's home in France to collect blood, urine and hair samples from the cyclist on March 17.
Although no banned substances were found, the dispute revolves around a 20-minute delay when Armstrong went inside the house and took a shower while his assistants checked the tester's credentials.
The seven-time Tour winner said he asked the tester for permission to go inside and it was granted. The AFLD says Armstrong "did not respect the obligation to remain under the direct and permanent observation" of the tester.
According to Armstrong, the tester wrote "no" on the section of the official paperwork that asks if there was anything irregular about the test…
Armstrong's brief video is up at SI.6311. wabbit - 4/11/2009 5:06:58 PM  Division title: Check. No. 1 playoff seed: Check. Next goal for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers is securing the NBA's best record. James had 27 points and 10 assists, Wally Szczerbiak scored a season-high 18 and the Cavaliers beat the struggling Philadelphia 76ers 102-92 Friday night to clinch home-court advantage in the Eastern conference playoffs. No team has played better at home this season than the Cavs. They're 38-1 at Quicken Loans Arena, with the only loss coming against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 8. Cleveland (64-15) is 1 1/2 games ahead of the Lakers for the best record in the league. Andre Iguodala led Philadelphia with 26. The Sixers (40-39) have lost four straight since clinching a playoff berth. They remained one game behind Miami for fifth place in the East.
Paul Pierce spent part of the week looking over the schedule, counting the missed opportunities that cost the Celtics a chance to repeat as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. There was a loss to the Clippers in Los Angeles. Another to the Trail Blazers when Brandon Roy was out. "There are five or six games you look at and go, 'What would our record be if we had taken care of business?'" Pierce said after Boston saw its slim chances of earning home court in the East evaporate despite a 105-98 victory over the Miami Heat on Friday night. "Every game is big for us now. These last three games, I feel like we have to win them all." Pierce scored 21 of his 28 points in the second half, including the go-ahead free throws with 97 seconds left to help the Celtics earn their sixth straight win. But the Cavaliers' victory over Philadelphia minutes earlier locked Boston out of the No. 1 seed; the Celtics are in Cleveland on Sunday in a game that will settle bragging rights, but little else.
Kobe Bryant sat, his knees wrapped in ice, with his chin in his hand. He was pondering the Lakers' latest loss to the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden. He came up with a myriad of possibilities, but in the end he shook his head. "Even when we're having championship runs, we usually come up here and get our butts kicked," Bryant said. "They play us tough here." Brandon Roy had 24 points and eight assists, and the Blazers beat the Lakers 106-98 on Friday night. It was Portland's eighth straight victory over Los Angeles at the Rose Garden. Bryant scored 32 points for the Lakers, but in the final minute alone he missed a key 3-pointer, had a crucial turnover and was off on another 3. The sellout crowd collectively held its breath as each shot was launched.…
NBA scores
6312. wabbit - 4/11/2009 5:07:28 PM  Jered Weaver did the best he could to gather his emotions, striking out eight in a strong season debut that served as a tribute to his friend and rookie teammate. Weaver and the grief-stricken Los Angeles Angels, still mourning Nick Adenhart's shocking death, returned to baseball Friday night with a 6-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox. It was the Angels' ninth consecutive regular-season victory against the Red Sox - the longest in franchise history - but the joy over this one was muted by prevailing sadness. The 22-year-old Adenhart and two of his friends were killed when their car was broadsided early Thursday in a crash caused by a suspected drunk driver who was charged with three counts of murder Friday.
The scene keeps repeating in the first week of the season: Emilio Bonifacio sprinting around third base to score. His latest run gave the unbeaten Florida Marlins their latest win. Jorge Cantu singled with two out in the ninth to bring Bonifacio home from second base Friday, and the Marlins remained unbeaten through four games by defeating the New York Mets 5-4. Acquired in November from Washington, Bonifacio went 3-for-5 for his fourth consecutive multi-hit game, hiking his average to .579 (11-for-19). He scored three times and has nine runs this season. The Marlins' new leadoff hitter is a big reason they're the only unbeaten team in the majors and 4-0 for the first time in franchise history. Other key contributors include Hanley Ramirez (.500, eight RBIs) and Cantu (.429). The team average is .309.
Cole Hamels hardly looked like a World Series MVP in his 2009 debut, which resembled batting practice for the Colorado Rockies. After his start was pushed back because of spring training elbow trouble, Hamels was roughed up and chased early Friday in Colorado's 10-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies. Jason Marquis pitched seven strong innings in his Rockies debut, and Colorado beat the defending World Series champions in its home opener. The crowd of 49,427 was the highest paid attendance in a regular-season game at Coors Field, which opened in 1995. They didn't see the same Hamels who won NLCS and World Series MVP trophies last year. Hamels (0-1) was supposed to start Philadelphia's season opener Sunday night, but his outing was delayed due to a sore left elbow that slowed him this spring. The left-hander allowed seven runs and 11 hits in 3 2-3 innings, including a five-run third in which gave up half a dozen extra-base hits.
MLB news
6313. wabbit - 4/11/2009 5:09:48 PM  They've taken care of all the nostalgic farewells at Augusta National. Goodbye, Gary Player. Raise a toast to Fuzzy Zoeller. And, just in case Greg Norman doesn't make it back, thanks for the memories, Great White Shark, however painful some of them might be. Now, it's time to get down to the real business of this 2009 Masters. Does Kenny Perry have what it takes to become the oldest winner in major championship history? Can Chad Campbell hang on to an Augusta lead the second time around? Will Anthony Kim's putter keep on smokin'?
Doctor Jekyll, meet Mister Hyde. Augusta National on Thursday, meet Augusta National on Friday. The red numbers that made Thursday's scorecards look like AIG's annual statement weren't going to happen again Friday. That just wouldn't be like the National, which is flat-out the hardest darned great course in the world. The difference was the wind. Friday morning broke sunny and clear with a pleasant breeze, but those nice little breezes took steroids later in the morning and turned into strong, swirling winds, gusting upwards of 25 miles per hour. The course can be somewhat vulnerable (but not easy, not ever) with soft greens and no wind. On Friday, the course was playing two full shots harder than the first round at one point during the afternoon before easing up to a little more than a shot and a half harder by the end of the day. Someone asked Tiger Woods if the wind was difficult. "Yeah," he said without smiling, making it clear he'd just been asked the golfing equivalent of, Is General Motors having a bad year? "You might say that."
6314. wabbit - 4/13/2009 6:03:38 PM  They played deep into the shadows of a warm spring evening, a middle-aged man with a hiccup in his swing and an Argentine with a going draw. Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera comprised the final act of a wild Masters Sunday, a day of high drama and loud roars that recalled the old-time magic of this beloved tournament.
When the 39-year-old Cabrera saved par from the trees to the right of the first playoff hole — where the third man in the sudden death shootout, Chad Campbell, succumbed with a bogey — he earned a reprieve to keep battling Perry, and an already special Masters became just a little more intense. From the middle of the 10th fairway, the second playoff hole, Perry pulled his approach shot wide left of the green and missed his 20-footer for par. Cabrera hit his approach just below the hole and safely two-putted.
At dusk, the former caddie became a Masters champion…
6315. wabbit - 4/14/2009 12:26:27 AM 
R.I.P. Mark Fidrych
Former All-Star pitcher Mark "the Bird" Fidrych was found dead Monday in an apparent accident at his farm. He was 54.
Worcester County district attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. saids a family friend found Fidrych about 2:30 p.m. Monday beneath a dump truck at his Northborough, Mass., farm. He appeared to be working on the truck, Early said.
The colorful right-hander was the American League rookie of the year in 1976 when he went 19-9 with a 2.34 ERA. He spent all five of his major league seasons with the Detroit Tigers, compiling a 29-19 record and a 3.10 ERA… I loved watching him pitch. He was so goofy and fun, and not a half bad pitcher to boot.6316. wabbit - 4/19/2009 3:07:06 PM 
Todd Pletcher gave Advice some time off after a disappointing 2-year-old campaign last fall, thinking his talented but immature colt needed a break to get through some growing pains. Consider Advice all grown up, just in time for the Kentucky Derby. Advice roared past heavy favorite Square Eddie to take the $300,000 Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and earn a shot at next month's Run for the Roses. Advice put together a masterful move in the stretch, surging by Square Eddie then holding off Conservative by a length to pick up his first win as a 3-year-old. Advice, with Garrett Gomez up, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.33 and paid $33.60, $15 and $7.80. Pletcher is certain Advice has the toughness to navigate the 1 1/4 mile Derby, but he and owners WinStar Farm will wait to decide whether to send him to Churchill Downs.
Dunkirk covered five furlongs in :59.90 handily, the fastest of 12 timed moves at the distance, for trainer Todd Pletcher. The Unbridled’s Song colt finished second to Quality Road in the Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park in only his third career start. S and M al Naboodah Group United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-G2) winner Regal Ransom and Gulf News United Arab Emirates Two Thousand Guineas (UAE-G3) winner Desert Party both worked at Churchill Downs as did Illinois Derby (G2) winner Musket Man. Regal Ransom, who defeated Desert Party by a half-length in the UAE Derby, breezed five furlongs on a track rated as fast in :59.80. He posted splits of :12.60, :24.20, :35.80, and :48 during the drill and galloped out six furlongs in 1:13. The Distorted Humor colt’s breeze ranked fourth of 28 timed workouts at the distance. Desert Party breezed five furlongs in 1:00.20, posting internal fractions of :12.20, :24.40, :37, and :48.80. The Street Cry (Ire) colt galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.20.
Thoroughbred Times
6317. wabbit - 4/19/2009 3:08:52 PM  LeBron James banked in a stunning 3-pointer at the end of the first half and finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Cavaliers embarked on their quest for a first NBA championship with a 102-84 win over the Pistons in Game 1 on Saturday. James' 41-footer demoralized the Pistons and gave the Cavs the league's most dominant team - home or away - during the regular season, momentum and a 12-point halftime lead. Cleveland held off one second-half surge by Detroit while James was on the bench and closed out the Pistons, who will try to even the best-of-seven series in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Derrick Rose had a playoff debut like few others and led the Chicago Bulls to a victory over the Boston Celtics in the playoffs. Not even Michael Jordan did that. Rose matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record with 36 points in his playoff debut, adding 11 assists to lead the Bulls to a 105-103 overtime victory over the defending NBA champions in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Game 2 is Monday, the anniversary of the 1986 playoff game when Jordan scored 63 points against Boston - in a Bulls loss. In fact, Chicago had not beaten the Celtics in 10 postseason games since the Chicago Stags beat Boston in the 1948 Basketball Association of America quarterfinals.
Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks walked off the court, savoring their first road playoff victory in three years. A pack of fans stuck around and hollered "Let's go Mavs!" in one of the most hostile places to wear green and blue. No one bothered them or shouted back. The stands had emptied quickly, and the San Antonio Spurs were already back in the locker room knowing they've got a lot of work to do. In a giant Game 1 road victory for the Mavericks, who hadn't won a road playoff game or postseason series since going to the NBA finals in 2006, Josh Howard scored 25 points and Dallas stole the home-court edge in 105-97 victory Saturday night.
NBA scores
6318. wabbit - 4/19/2009 3:11:48 PM  It was one fun day for the Tribe at the New York Yankees' swanky new home. Asdrubal Cabrera hit a grand slam and an RBI single in Cleveland's 14-run second - the biggest inning ever against New York - and the Indians set the bar for Yankee Stadium's new record book, coasting to a 22-4 victory. DeRosa and Shin Soo-Choo hit three-run homers, Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez had solo shots and manager Eric Wedge earned his 500th victory. Jhonny Peralta had three hits and two RBIs after missing Friday's 6-5 loss with a strained left elbow. The Indians chased struggling starter Chien-Ming Wang and set several marks that could stand for a while at New York's $1.5 billion ballpark. The 14 runs were the most scored in the second inning of a major league game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The runs and 13 hits in the inning were a franchise record for a Yankees opponent.
Zack Greinke did not allow a run for his third straight start this season, pitching a seven-hitter for his first career shutout as the Royals beat the Texas Rangers 2-0 Saturday night. The Rangers couldn't get much going against Greinke, who's thrown 34 consecutive scoreless innings, 20 over his three outings this year. Greinke (3-0) prevailed in a matchup of aces who started the day with the two lowest ERAs in the AL - Greinke at 0.00 and Texas' Kevin Millwood at 0.64. Greinke struck out a season-high 10 and didn't issue a walk while getting his fourth career complete game in 106 starts. He used a variety of pitches to keep the Rangers off-balance, including a fastball in the mid-90s and an effective changeup.
Kevin Youkilis returned to ripping for the Red Sox. Youkilis fell a triple short of the cycle and drove in four runs, leading Boston to a 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. One night after getting hit in the head and going 0-for-4, Youkilis went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer and two doubles as the Red Sox won their third straight after starting 2-6. Baltimore dropped its third consecutive game following a 6-2 start. It was Youkilis' eighth multi-hit game in 11 played this season. Mike Lowell had a pair of hits and an RBI for Boston. The win was part of a sports-filled day in Boston. A few miles away at the TD Banknorth Garden, the Celtics lost a playoff game to the Chicago Bulls in the afternoon before the Bruins beat the Canadiens in Game 2 of their series. Unlike Friday's series opener, when the Red Sox rallied from a 7-0 deficit for a 10-8 win, they jumped ahead 6-0 after four innings.
MLB news
6319. wabbit - 4/19/2009 3:12:03 PM  The Boston Bruins wanted to bring some joy into Matt Hunwick's rough day. They did it with a big boost from the replacement for the 23-year-old defenseman who had surgery Saturday to removed his spleen. Defenseman Shane Hnidy scored just five minutes after Montreal had cut the deficit to one goal, and the Bruins moved two wins away from their first playoff series victory since 1999 with a 5-1 victory over the Canadiens on Saturday night. Top-seeded Boston took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series over No. 8 Montreal, which will play at home Monday night. Boston scored three power-play goals, two by Marc Savard and one by Ryder on a pass from Savard. Hnidy's goal regained the Bruins' momentum after Alex Kovalev cut the lead to 2-1 just 46 seconds into the second period.
Jonathan Toews' first two career playoff goals were much more than a personal milestone for the 20-year-old Chicago Blackhawks captain. The first one got his team back in the game. The second one, with just 24 seconds to go in the second period, put Chicago ahead as the Blackhawks rallied for a 3-2 victory over Calgary on Saturday night in the Western Conference quarterfinals. Now with Toews and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin leading the way, the Blackhawks hold a 2-0 lead with Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-7 series in Calgary on Monday and Wednesday.
The Red Wings relied on unsung players to get off to a good start against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Two stars put the defending Stanley Cup champions in control. Pavel Datsyuk slammed a shot into the net, and Henrik Zetterberg sent a puck to the top shelf, leading Detroit to a 4-0 win against the Blue Jackets on Saturday night and a 2-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference series.
NHL scores
6320. wabbit - 5/3/2009 5:10:56 PM 
After a record-setting seven overtimes in the first six games, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics made an early night of it with a dominating stretch in the second. That's second quarter, not second OT. Ray Allen followed his 51-point Game 6 performance with 23 on Saturday night, Paul Pierce added 20 and Boston pulled away from Chicago just before the half to finish the Bulls off 109-99 - a rare regulation victory in what might have been be the best first-round playoff series in league history. Ben Gordon scored 33 and Kirk Hinrich scored 14 of his 16 in the fourth quarter to help Chicago cut it to three points. Boston made all 11 of its free throws in the last 2 minutes to hold on, and the seventh-seeded Bulls return to Chicago knowing they took the defending champs to the limit. The four overtime games was a record for a series, and the seven overtimes total were the most any team has ever played in an entire playoff - and it's just the first round. Kendrick Perkins had 13 rebounds, Rajon Rondo had 11 assists and Eddie House scored 16 points - going 5-for-5 from the floor, including four 3-pointers. Joakim Noah had 15 rebounds for Chicago. Celtics forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who scored 15 as the sub for injured star Kevin Garnett, said he was glad to finish this one off in the regulation 48 minutes…
A season-saving win in the books, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat walked off the court Friday night with a stoic look. No celebrating, nary even a smile. To Sunday. To Game 7. Wade scored 41 points, Michael Beasley busted out of a slump with 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Heat stayed alive by routing the Atlanta Hawks 98-72 in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night. So a wild back-and-forth series - three routs for the Hawks, three routs for the Heat - will be decided Sunday in Atlanta. Mike Bibby scored all 20 of his points in the first half for Atlanta, which fell behind by 15 in the opening quarter, cut the deficit to nine by halftime, but never really challenged from there. Flip Murray and Joe Johnson added 13 apiece for the Hawks, who lost a first-round Game 7 last season against Boston. That, though, didn't come with the comfort of the home-court advantage they'll enjoy Sunday. It's winner-take-all time, with one team going to Cleveland to open the second round against LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Tuesday, the other heading into the offseason. The wacky run of outcomes continued: Atlanta's wins have been by 26, 10 and 15 points. The Heat have prevailed by 15, 29 and 26 points…
NBA scores
6321. wabbit - 5/3/2009 5:11:36 PM 
The cowboy and his horse beat them all. Four Hall of Fame trainers. The ruler of Dubai. Two very sentimental favorites. Trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. hitched Mine That Bird to the back of his pickup and drove to the Kentucky Derby from New Mexico. With an inspired ride on the rail from Calvin Borel, it all added up to one of the greatest upsets in 135 years of America's most famous horse race. Mine That Bird went off at 50-1 odds Saturday, but that was only one measure of how little attention he garnered before pulling away in the stretch to score a 6 3/4-length victory at Churchill Downs, the second-biggest stunner in Derby history. The margin was the largest since Assault won by eight lengths in 1946.
"All I asked him was to lay the horse back and be patient, and he did that magically," Woolley said.
That should have been no surprise since Borel used the same rail-hugging ride to win the Derby two years ago with Street Sense. "I learned by Street Sense being so patient with these 3-year-olds," Borel said. "They can only go so fast, so far. When I hollered at him, he just went on."
Pioneerof the Nile was second. Musket Man was another nose back in third. Papa Clem was fourth, followed by Chocolate Candy, Summer Bird, Join in the Dance, Regal Ransom, West Side Bernie, General Quarters, Dunkirk, Hold Me Back, Advice, Desert Party, Mr. Hot Stuff, Atomic Rain, Nowhere to Hide, Friesan Fire and Flying Private.
Mine That Bird ran 1 1/4 miles on a sloppy track in 2:02.66 and paid $103.20, $54 and $25.80. It was the second-largest payout in Derby history behind Donerail ($184.90) in 1913. Borel didn't expect to be back in the winner's circle so soon, or so easily. He became just the seventh jockey and the first since Jerry Bailey in 1993 to pull the Oaks/Derby double, having ridden Rachel Alexandra to an eye-popping 20 1/4-length victory Friday…
6322. wabbit - 5/3/2009 5:12:18 PM  Every Kentucky Derby has a story or two about a horse or its connections. The Mine That Bird group is no exception. They went largely overlooked during the pre-race commentary. Calvin Borel's story was covered when he won the Derby on Street Sense in 2005 with a very similar ride. Borel had planned on being in the Run for the Roses aboard Beethoven, but an injury took the horse out of the Derby and Bennie Woolley asked him to ride Mind That Bird.
Woolley is a one-time rodeo bareback rider-turned-trainer who hitched a horse van to the back of a pickup at his home base in New Mexico and drove his horse to Kentucky. Mine That Bird won four of five starts at Woodbine in Toronto and was Canada's 2-year-old champion. The plan was to race him at Sunland Park and if the gelding did well there, start talking about the Kentucky Derby. But Mine That Bird ran a disappointing fourth and the target became the Lone Star Derby in Texas instead. When Woolley broke his right leg in a motorcycle accident, he turned most of the training duties over to his older brother, Bill. Meanwhile, so many horses dropped out of the Derby that Mine That Bird ended up 17th (in graded stakes earnings), enough to qualify him for a place in the Derby.
When he finally reached Louisville, Woolley shared the backstretch with Hall of Fame trainers he knew only by reputation. But all those tales he'd heard about the town and the knowledgeable fans turned out to be true. Reporters largely left him on his own during the week leading up to the race, but just about every night at a restaurant, fans approached him for an update on Mine That Bird. At least the fans knew something about the little son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone.
I would have loved to have seen Tom McCarthy, a 75-year-old retired high school principal with his one-horse stable, win. He was outbid for General Quarters at auction and ended up paying $20,000 for him when he won a four-way tie in a claiming race. General Quarters finished 10th and never found his footing in the slop. But I'm not unhappy that the Mine That Bird group won. Theirs is a good story, too.
And hooray for Einstein!
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