Calvin Borel
A jockey known as 'Bo-rail' for his daring fence-skimming rides, who pulled off one of horse racing's greatest upsets.
Born 1966 (age 60)·American jockey·Birthday: November 7·Generation X
Biography
Hailing from the Cajun country of Louisiana, Calvin Borel learned to ride on bush tracks, developing a fearless, ground-saving style that would become his trademark. His career was a testament to perseverance, spending years as a respected but not nationally famous rider until his forties. Then, in a stunning three-year span, he won the Kentucky Derby three times. The 2009 victory aboard 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird was pure Borel theater: he guided the horse to the rail, found a seemingly impossible opening, and surged to a jaw-dropping win. Just a day later, he won the Kentucky Oaks on the phenomenal filly Rachel Alexandra, whom he would later pilot to a Preakness Stakes victory. Borel’s story is not one of privileged mounts but of a blue-collar horseman whose intimate connection with animals and tactical brilliance on the rail made him a folk hero in the sport.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Calvin was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Calvin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Calvin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 60
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Kentucky Derby three times in four years (2007 on Street Sense, 2009 on Mine That Bird, 2010 on Super Saver).
- Rode the filly Rachel Alexandra to victory in the 2009 Preakness Stakes, beating male competitors.
- Completed the rare Kentucky Oaks-Kentucky Derby double in 2009, winning both races within 24 hours.
- Inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2013.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Bo-rail' comes from his preference for riding extremely close to the inner rail on the track.
He began riding in unsanctioned 'bush track' races in Louisiana as a young teenager.
Borel famously gave his 2007 Kentucky Derby trophy to the parents of his fiancée, former jockey Lisa Funk.
““I just let him run his race. I didn’t want to take away his heart.” (on riding Mine That Bird)”
