Calvin Borel on Jay Leno/Tonight Show TUE 12th - corrected

[Glimmerglass]

As a reminder The Tonight Show With Jay Leno will have in addition to Comic Dennis Miller and Kelly Clarkson performing, Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel

Calvin already left Louisville KY this morning - after working Mine That Bird - for the afternoon taping of The Tonight Show in Burbank, California.

This is in addition to him being on The Today Show and cover of Sports Illustrated (http://www.sicovers.com/Product.aspx?pid=2208) for this week (May 11)

An interesting bit of insight on Calvin: NY post May 10, 2009 "Steve Serby's Sunday Q&A with ... Calvin Borel" (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05102009/sports/horseracing/serbys_sunday_q__a_with____calvin_borel_168557.htm )

Q: You were in a coma after a spill on Miss Touchdown.

A: For eight days. They took out my spleen. . . . I got plastic ribs on one side. . . . I broke 36 bones in my body. . . . I got six rods in my arm.

Q: The first horse you rode when you returned six months later was Miss Touchdown.

A: My (older) brother (Cecil) said, "We're gonna see how good you are." That's what made me what I am today. I have no fear.

Q: You'd use the word fearless to describe you?

A: Yes, sir. The day I'm gonna walk out of my house and have any thought I'm gonna be hurt, I'm gonna retire.

[Lori T]

How funny, I was just about to post this and saw you already did!
His mom-in-law finally came home so I got to recap the Derby with her this weekend...like how they almost left the wristbands to the winner circle in the car for MTB because they didn't think they would need them! Thank goodness they brought them!

[Glimmerglass]

The Baltimore Sun also had this on Calvin (http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horseracing/bal-sp.borel10may10,0,7531181.story?track=rss) - May 10, 2009 "Borel enjoying the ride; Jockey's personality makes him fan favorite"

excerpt

"Woooo! Woooo! Did ya see me ride that sucker! Yes, sir! Fifty to one! Oww! It's all in the hands, baby!"

If it were any other jockey, the celebration might have felt like a gauche, over-the-top display of emotion. But not Borel. Instead it felt genuine. It felt earned. The 42-year-old Louisiana native had just won his second Kentucky Derby, and now the crowd was showering him with love. His emotions were bubbling up and spilling out onto his racing silks, and before he headed to the winner's circle atop Mine That Bird, he decided to take an extra-long victory lap, slapping every hand he could along the way.

So how did Borel celebrate his Kentucky Derby victory? By going out and riding his next two races, and by getting up early the next morning. That kind of humility has people shaking their head and rooting Borel on, regardless of what horse he rides.

"After he was done with his last two races and done with the press conference, Calvin was getting undressed and the head of security came up to him," [Gary Stevens] said. "He said, 'Calvin, we need to go over to the [Kentucky Derby] museum. He said, 'Tell them I can't come. I have to work a horse at 6 o'clock in the morning.' That's Calvin right there."

[Lori T]

Yep, that is so him. And I bet he is going to be a HUGE hit on Leno!

[Glimmerglass]

An odd resource out there:

What the Trend? Calvin Borel (http://www.whatthetrend.com/trend/Calvin+Borel)

[DLee]

I believe he is actually on tomorrow night, Tuesday.

[Glimmerglass]

I believe he is actually on tomorrow night, Tuesday.

Corrected - thanks - the taping was done Monday, airing for Tuesday.

For the "fair and balanced" bit, although I don't think this is really from that view, but the NY Post's Ray Kerrison takes some shots at Calvin today (http://www.nypost.com/seven/05122009/sports/horseracing/bye_birdie__calvins_switch_shameful_168767.htm)

example

He has given the back of his hand to the horse that gave him the greatest ride of his life, the horse that engraved his name in turf history, the horse that put $140,000 cash in his bank account for 10 minutes of work.

How's that for gratitude?

Needless to say that idiot Mr. Kerrison is going to get an earful

[FatDinah]

Those comments are uncalled for and obviously the writer has no racing knowledge.

Borel said right after the Derby (before RA was sold) that the filly was the better horse. I think he told Donna Brothers right after he went under crossed the wire that they could not have run with her. He has been totally up front about what he would do if he had to make a choice between them.

I hate it when racing does get general attention from the media and public because they get stuff SO WRONG!!!!!

[ravenclaw]

I hate it when racing does get general attention from the media and public because they get stuff SO WRONG!!!!!
There is another idiotic racing article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2009-05-11-mine-that-bird_N.htm

[danceronice]

There is another idiotic racing article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2009-05-11-mine-that-bird_N.htm

Uh, this one I think is pretty obviously written with tongue in cheek.

[Glimmerglass]

The Tonight Show webpage (http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/) you can watch full episodes on line.

[HuntrJumpr]

There is another idiotic racing article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2009-05-11-mine-that-bird_N.htm


:lol: I rather enjoyed reading it. :D

[Beverley]

Uh, this one I think is pretty obviously written with tongue in cheek.


I thought it was a hoot.

[BasqueMom]

I, too, thought it was a hoot!

[Mao]

I think it's wonderful to see this kind of outside media attention not prompted by tragic breakdowns. Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel have given the world a much-needed fairy-tale. And Americans love an under-dog.

The (likely?) switch to Rachel Alexandra is an unexpected twist. Calvin is messing with our fairy-tale. Time will tell if this will re-inforce negative impressions of horse-racing with the general public. Hopefully not. The saving grace is Rachel Alexandra is a girl - which gives her a shot at her own Ruffianesque fairy-tale potential.

It certainly has given sportswriters the opportunity for additional ink about the match-up and will make for an extraordinarily interesting Preakness.

[LaurieB]

There is another idiotic racing article in USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2009-05-11-mine-that-bird_N.htm

I thought that article was great. :lol:

[Acertainsmile]

I woke up in time to catch the tail end of the interview...was anything said about the rider change in the Preakness?

[Lori T]

I woke up in time to catch the tail end of the interview...was anything said about the rider change in the Preakness?

No. Mainly a get to know who Calvin is..he talked about his childhood and how he started. Some good stories, he mentioned how horses would be painted a different color from one meet to the next, and how he would look over and see plastic bags or cans tied to the horse (he forgot to mention chickens, as he once told me!)!!
Calvin was funny and entertaining and I am sure a crowd pleaser. Leno, definitely not a horse person, really didn't know the right questions to ask!

[awm]

That was fun to watch!
Jay tried to dumb Calvin down, but Calvin's comment about the White House chandelier
was priceless!!!!!!!!

Nothing was said about who he's riding this Sat-----

Looking forward to an exciting Preakness!

[Brightshow]

He really was a joy to watch on Leno, although it felt kind of short.

[malarkey]

Leno, definitely not a horse person, really didn't know the right questions to ask!

don't cha think they could hunt down a REAL horse person to write up a few simple questions for Leno to ask? I mean how hard is that?

I'll need to hunt for this on YouTube or Hulu. Missesd DVR'ing it last night :-(

[Glimmerglass]

TB TImes May 13 "Borel connects with Tonight Show audience" (http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/national-news/2009/May/13/Borel-connects-with-Tonight-Show-audience.aspx)

Leno asked if (his fiance) Funk bet on Calvin.

“No, but everybody else did,” Borel said. “We had family come in and she bet on the second horse and they bet on the winner. I couldn’t believe it.”

The Borel interview with Leno is available as part of an entire episode video at NBC.com. His interview is the second-to-last segment in the episode. To view, click here (http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/video/episodes/#vid=1102046).

[Roulett]

Calvin looked like he was enjoying himself --- the audience loved him. There is something about Calvin that makes you want to cheer for him and give him a big hug. Perhaps because he is real, not without flaws and minus the big ego. It's time for a hero, someone we can all cheer for ----- times are hard these days and Calvin is everyone's jockey!

[Pirateer]

. The saving grace is Rachel Alexandra is a girl - which gives her a shot at her own Ruffianesque fairy-tale potential.


This is EXACTLY what I'm afraid of for her.

[Glimmerglass]

He was on fire today at Churchill going 3 for 3, including a failry long shot, before he lost in the 9th race.

[rcloisonne]

Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel have given the world a much-needed fairy-tale. And Americans love an under-dog.
Exactly. It's like rescripting the Cinderella story where the ending finds the prince ditching her for a wealthy princess. More true to life I suppose...