Catahoula’s Borel named to La. Sports Hall of Fame

Natchitoches – Catahoula native Calvin Borel is among eight inductees chosen for induction into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame next June.
A three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey, Borel will be recognized during the 2017 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration here June 22-24.
Borel, 49, briefly retired in March 2016 with 5,146 career wins (27th all-time in North American racing history) and more than $127 million in purse money from 34,915 mounts.
As of August, he has resumed riding. A fan favorite known for his colorful personality, Borel, who started what would be a 25-year riding career at Delta Downs, earned the nickname “Bo-rail” because of his penchant for settling in along the rail in a race in order to cover the shortest distance possible. Borel recorded an unprecedented feat in piloting three Kentucky Derby winners in a four-year span – starting with Street Sense in 2007 and winning in back-to-back tries aboard 50-to-1 shot Mine That Bird (the second-biggest upset in Derby history) in 2009 and Super Saver in ’10.
He has spent much of his riding career in Kentucky, where he has won numerous racing titles. All told, he has brought home 1,189 winners in 20 years at Churchill Downs – including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Street Sense in 2006 and ranks second all-time at the venerable oval behind Pat Day (2,482 wins). Borel put together the ultimate racing “double” in 2009, when, the day before riding Mine That Bird to a 6¾-length win (the largest margin of victory in the Kentucky Derby in 63 years), he won the Kentucky Oaks (the female version of the Kentucky Derby) aboard Rachel Alexandra -- becoming only the seventh jockey to do that. Borel guided her to a win over the boys two weeks later in the Preakness and was also in the saddle when Rachel Alexandra became the first distaff winner of the Grade I Woodward at Saratoga.
Borel, who won 2010 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award in a vote of his peers, earned his 5000th career win on March 7, 2013 – the 26th North American jockey to reach that plateau. That same year, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
Other members of tyhe 2017 group of inductees include:
•D-D Breaux, distinguished LSU gymnastics coach.
•C.A. Core, Southeastern Louisiana University basketball coach.
•Raymond Didier, who coached successful baseball programs at Nicholls State, UL-Lafayette and LSU.
•Eddie Kennison, a LSU two-sport start in track and football who went on to a distinguished NFL career as a wide receivere.
•Juan Pierre of Alexandria who was a World Series MVP while playing for the Florida Marlins.
•Ed Reed, who was a free safety for the Super Bowl XLVII champion Baltimore Ravens.
•David Toms, and LSU All-American golfer who had a stellar career in the PGA.