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opinion editorialsThis editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by editorial page staff and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers
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Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Mine that Bird Is Every Man's Horse
It was almost the stuff that movies — and dreams — are made of.
A little horse from the plains of the Southwest purchased for pennies by thoroughbred racing standards, a feisty trainer on crutches who trailered his horse to the tracks, two good ol' boy owners from Roswell who figured their horse could run with the best.
And run he did. A 50-1 long shot for the Derby, Mine That Bird with jockey Calvin Borel astride, sailed along the rails to edge out the favorites. Many thought his win was a fluke. In the Preakness, with New Mexico jockey Mike Smith aboard, he proved he could run, finishing a close second to Rachel Alexandra.
The last leg of the Triple Crown wasn't to be for Mine That Bird, a little gelding with a big heart who captured the imaginations of horse race lovers and bettors alike.
Horse and rider had to settle for third after a charge from a bird of another feather — Summer Bird, who ran the race that Mine That Bird ran in the Derby.
But by any measure, the win, place, show record in the 2009 Triple Crown is an amazing achievement.
Mine That Bird became the poster pony for New Mexico horse racing.
One trainer called him “Every Man's horse.” As fan Catherine Sweeney summed it up: “All of New Mexico is a winner with him.”
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