Beating this whip issue to death

While it appears talks have stalled on whether I'll be cracked a few times with the new, "cushioned" racing whip, perhaps I should rethink my choice of jockeys at the front of the line to administer the beating. Chantal Sutherland just might show up with the stiff old whip.

Besides, I've been beaten to the lash by an Australian bloke who calls himself "The Horse Whisperer," who took 19 strokes from the new cushioned whip -- one more than new Aussie rules permit -- and he said the whip, through his jeans anyway, "does not hurt at all."

Sutherland was fined $200 and her mount, Sans Sousi, was stripped of the $40,080 winner's share on Sept. 4 at Woodbine when the jockey showed for the post parade with the wrong (old) whip. Told by another rider that she had the wrong whip, Sutherland dropped hers off and picked up another at the gate, where a few pieces of extra equipment are kept in the event of a last-minute need before the race.

Unfortunately, the track's whip was also was of the banned variety.

The incident -- which Sutherland doesn't contest and for which she shoulders full blame -- plus the stunt from Down Under give us pause to consider the new whipping rules in Canada and in Australia, where jockeys recently went on strike in protest.

Both jurisdictions not only mandated the "kinder" whip -- which replaces a hard leather crop and its stinging leather tassel on the end with a stick wrapped in foam to better avoid hurting the horse -- they also attempt to limit the number of times a rider strikes his horse in the closing stages of the race.

For starters, if jurisdictions are going to mandate the cushioned whip and fine or otherwise penalize riders who forget and use the old crop, then Woodbine should've had an appropriate whip at the gate to hand over to Sutherland on Sept. 4 when she arrived to ride "whipless," having ditched her own crop on the way to the gate. Stewards fined Sutherland for forgetting about the new rule, but the track itself didn't think to update its own equipment cache. (And Sutherland said she "was going to get days" if she rode without a whip at all, hence her decision to use the track's whip even though it was a banned variety.)

And while the only way to really enforce competition rules -- particularly those involving doping -- is to disqualify a horse that wins outside the rules and strip its connections of the purse, leaving zero reward for cheating, it's hard to believe that Sans Sousi won the race because Sutherland (who went light on the stick in the stretch) used the wrong whip. So a $40,080 penalty is no slap on the wrist, it's more like breaking an owner's arm, and arguably is more punishment than the offense really seems to merit.

Aside from these compliance and enforcement issues from a single Woodbine race, whether these changes are for the better remains open to some debate.

One viable complaint raised about the combination of new-whip/strike-frequency rules is this: If the cushioned whip is so much kinder to the horse, why must the frequency of its use be more tightly restricted than was the use of the old whip?

It's worth noting that not everyone agrees that the new whip is pain-free. As a response to my earlier posts on the matter, Glenn Petty, executive director of theVirginia Thoroughbred Association, says he has hit himself in the calf with both whips, and while both did smart, the "Pro-Cush" whip just didn't hurt as much. And retired jockey Garrett Redmond, in response to Sid Fernando's question about whether Rachel Alexandra was whipped too much by Calvin Borel in her Woodward Stakes win, has said that he believes any whip hurts the horse, and that no whip is ever necessary in a race. (Although it seems most jockeys don't agree with Mr. Redmond and do want to keep their whips.)

My take is, do we really want jockeys trying to count whip strikes while they ride, all the way down to a blanket finish? Isn't that a bit like asking a NASCAR driver to count how many times he taps the brakes (or another car's bumper) in the last few laps of a race at Bristol? 

Aussie jockeys briefly went on strike over the rules, claiming they put riders at greater risk. Because such rules give jockeys one more thing to think about at the most mentally and physically taxing point of a race -- both for rider and horse -- I would tend to agree. (And Australian rules are already being amended.)

It's one thing to tell jockeys to go lighter on the stick as a general rule and to cease whipping a horse that can't improve its position. And then to warn that stewards will be watching closely and ruling harshly against those who flog an animal excessively or without cause.

What these jurisdictions have tried to do is appease those who demand changes in the name of horse welfare (some of whom, mind you, would really prefer to see no racing at all) by writing a meticulous set of rules and then putting all the burden for their observance on the jockey.

Granted, the rider is the human most directly responsible for lessening the impact of the whip on races -- that is, on horses. But we trust stewards to use their judgment in so many other instances of rider safety and misconduct that it is unreasonable to absolve the stewards of any responsibility by making the whip rules a case of violation-by-the-number: Strike the horse 18 times and win, that's perfect; hit him 19 times and you're taken down to last place. (And such rules are more stringent in the closing yards, leaving jockeys to count poles, whip strokes, and even strides of the horse while still steering, urging and trying to win.)

If horse racing wants to crack down on the whip criticism, nothing other than throwing away the whip will do. And should that be the eventual course of action, I'm fine with it, as it still leaves all horses and riders on an equal footing.

Just expect that the animal-protectionists won't be satisfied for long, and will be back shortly with their next demand.

If the purpose of revised whipping rules is to continue giving riders whatever control they have (or believe they have) with the whip in their hands, while also protecting horses, the greatest step is the cushioned whip -- not some arbitrary number of times a horse can legally be struck with said whip.

Sutherland, plus Parabola, times two: Is that the formula for another wild win in the Breeders' Stakes?

When Parabola begins the anticipated march from his stall at Woodbine Racetrack a week from today in preparation for the Breeders' Stakes -- last leg of the Canadian Triple Crown -- his connections will be hoping for a much less eventful afternoon than his most recent race, but with equally good results.

The 3-year-old Trajectory gelding won his last out on July 8, but not until after creating a ruckus in the outdoor saddling enclosure for Woodbine's turf course. The frantic horse seemed likely to have left his race in the paddock. But owner Janet Jeanpierre credits jockey Chantal Sutherland -- who'd never ridden Parabola prior -- for keeping her cool so that the horse could regain his, and could go on to win the race.

Jeanpierre is convinced there isn't a better rider in the Woodbine colony.

"Chantal is the best jockey here at Woodbine, although second in the standings," she wrote in a response to the Fugue's inquiry about her horse and his rider. "The favorites usually go to Patrick Husbands."

Husbands has earned his reputation as Canada's premier rider, notching his record-tying sixth Sovereign Award in 2008 as the country's best jockey. His mounts have won both the Canadian Triple Crown (Wando, 2003) and Triple Tiara (Sealy Hill, 2007). And, Husbands at this writing leads Sutherland in the jockey standings at Woodbine with 85 wins from 425 mounts to her 63 wins from 408 mounts.

But Sutherland might be the personification of the vintage Avis rent-a-car campaign -- that nobody tries harder than the person in second place.

"Chantal has an incredible work ethic. ... She is always ready to breeze horses," Jeanpierre writes. "She tries every time, even with the long shots. ... I'll tell you, when a horse Chantal is riding crosses the finish line, it staggers. She gets everything out of her horse. She is a really strong rider."

That's the sort of rider Jeanpierre saw when she watched Sutherland win the recent Bison City Stakes, second leg of Canada's Triple Tiara, aboard 3-year-old filly Dance for Us, who is trained by Parabola's conditioner, Barbara Minshall. It appeared as though the race might be stolen by a 48/1 long-shot maiden, Flashy Got Even, but Sutherland's shrewd riding aboard her filly gave Dance for Us the chance to get up and win -- and she did, by a hard-fought nose.

"When the two top fillies who were 1-2 in the (Canadian) Oaks elected to run in the Queen's Plate, my trainer entered Dance For Us," in the Bison City, Jeanpierre writes. "Chantal made a key move in the middle of the race that put the filly in a position from where she could win the race (and) she did. ... My trainer credits that move Chantal made with the win.

"Dance for Us and Parabola run in very similar styles," Jeanpierre continued. "When I saw what she did with 'Dance' in the Bison City, I told my trainer that I would love to get Chantal on Parabola. Fortunately she rode for us (July 8)."

Fortunate indeed, at least according to the results. Especially when the day looked like it could be finished early for Parabola, who came into 2009 as one of the "futures" favorites for the Queen's Plate, first leg of Canada's Triple Crown.

Parabola ended his juvenile campaign with a victory in Woodbine's Kingarvie Stakes going a mile and a sixteenth on Polytrack, and for a time was in the top five horses to watch, according to Woodbine's Web site. But the gelding finished last in both of his early prep races -- the seven-furlong Queenston and the 8 1/2-furlong Marine S.-G3 -- and his connections were left scratching their plans for the 'Plate and scrambling for answers.

A thorough vetting of the horse discovered evidence of a sneaky, but serious infection, even though the chestnut gelding had shown no symptoms such as coughing or "snots," Jeanpierre said.

"At least we have a reason for him stopping so badly," Jeanpierre wrote at the time.

The infection seemingly cleared, Minshall pointed Parabola to the Charlie Barley Stakes, an overnight race set for a mile on turf the day prior to the Queen's Plate. But the race was taken off the grass course, run at a mile and 70 yards on the main track, and again Parabola straggled home in arrears.

Change was in order, so Minshall again tried to get the horse on the grass, and in lesser company. Because of her ride aboard Dance for Us in the Bison City, Sutherland was booked to ride Parabola in the mile and a sixteenth test on turf.

"After all the setbacks Parabola had for his first two races, and then the puzzler of the third, we dropped him way down in class into an allowance, non-winners of three lifetime and restricted to Ontario-sired horses," Parabola's owner, Jeanpierre, said. "He was the only 3-year-old in the field."

Prior to the July 8 race, Parabola was schooled in Woodbine's spacious outer paddock, which serves the turf course. He "had been great" in the schooling, Jeanpierre recalls.

"But this was his first race from the outside paddock," she said. "He went ballastic and got really angry. His groom couldn't control him and when the pony person went to grab him and walk him, he reared and broke away."

Horse Canada reports that Parabola threw Sutherland in the paddock. Jeanpierre said Parabola "ended up running around for several minutes trying to jump out into the parking lot. Thankfully, no one and no horses were hurt."

But the trouble wasn't over. During his misbehavior, Parabola had sprung two shoes and had to be reshod, holding up the race. Then he gave the starters grief at the gate.

"Bless Chantal Sutherland, who just rode him as if nothing had happened before the race," Jeanpierre said. "He was running easily in fifth down the back stretch. Chantal had him in third at the top of the stretch and he just kept on rolling by the horses, winning going away."

Parabola won by a widening length in 1:41.17 for the 8 1/2 furlongs on grass. Jeanpierre said his Beyer Speed Figure for the race was an 82, but after all the problems leading up to it -- not just the mayhem in the paddock, but the three clunkers he ran prior -- his performance had to seem scintillating.

Parabola has now won three of 10 lifetime for $140,511 (U.S.) for his breeder and owner, Jeanpierre.

Minshall and Jeanpierre planned to turn the horse out for a bit of rest, but he came out of the race quite well, and had handled the turf admirably, so they started looking for the next test.

Few races in the coming weeks at Woodbine could be more of a step up than the Breeders' Stakes: last race of the Canadian Triple Crown; a $500,000 purse; 12 furlongs on the lawn; and the top two finishers from the 10-furlong turf Queen's Plate -- Eye of the Leopard and Mr. Foricos Two U -- are among the 21 nominations, although it's anyone's guess who'll actually go to post.

Beyond the competition, the race conditions will be a tall order. Few horses are asked for a mile and a half these days, and not all of those that are asked will answer with authority. But Minshall and Jeanpierre have a degree of confidence in their horse. Although Parabola's sire, Trajectory, was essentially a miler, the gelding's dam, Flying Tabriz, was both a turf winner and a daughter of Turkoman, a classic-distance Grade 1 winner and a distinct stamina influence in pedigrees.

Regardless whether Parabola proves himself at the distance, Jeanpierre is pleased that Sutherland is scheduled to breeze her horse on Sunday, as she did the week before, and that the jockey seems committed to him for the race.

"A lot of jockeys would have refused to ride Parabola after his pre-race antics. Or, if they had ridden him, would have just wrapped up on him as soon as he left the gate. Based on his 2009 form, no one would have known," Jeanpierre says of that July 8 victory.

"Not Chantal. she rode him as if nothing had happened. She is a very courageous rider with excellent instincts."

Close race in jockey poll: Can Chantal Sutherland beat Somebody Else?

Could Mike Smith retain the mount on Mine That Bird if our voters were in charge? Can Chantal Sutherland take down "Somebody Else?" What's with all the support for Richard Migliore?

These questions and more are being asked by the world today ... well, primarily by me ... as I'm intrigued with the results so far in the poll I opened (see column at left) on who my readers would hire as the replacement jockey for Calvin Borel if they owned Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird.

Noting that Mike Smith's two-race commitment still doesn't get the horse's connections through to the Breeders' Cup with a guaranteed jockey, I recommended Sutherland and said that Migliore also was a favorite of mine.

Among voters in the poll, Sutherland leads among my suggested names -- by a vote, 7-6-6 over Smith and Migliore -- but "Somebody Else" has the overall lead with 8 votes.

So if you have voted for "Somebody Else," I'd particularly like for you to stop back by and put the name of that "Somebody Else" in the comments section here, to see if there's a consensus pick emerging from the "none of the above" crowd.

Julien Leparoux ... no, Mike Smith! ... to be aboard Mine That Bird in West Virginia Derby and Travers

It seems that nothing's ever simple or straightforward when dealing with Mine That Bird and his connections.

I check my e-mail pretty religiously, at least on weekends and when there are horses to discuss. I saw a tip from a message board friend that the Blood-Horse was reporting that jockey Julien Leparoux had committed to ride the Kentucky Derby winner in the upcoming West Virginia Derby-G2, Aug. 1 at Mountaineer Park.

I clicked the link to read the story, and the page at bloodhorse.com was empty.

I clicked the Blood-Horse logo to head back to the homepage and saw no page-topping story link to coverage of who is riding Mine That Bird now that owner Mark Allen and trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. have de-seated the man who won them the Kentucky Derby and beat them in the Preakness, Calvin Borel. But a quick search of the page found a smaller-type link for the story "Smith to Ride Mine That Bird in Two Stakes."

So the news is: Mike Smith, who rode Mine That Bird to a closing second behind Borel and Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness Stakes and then gave up the mount to ride for regular clients Jerry and Ann Moss on the west coast and skip the Belmont Stakes, is back in the irons for the West Virginia Derby and the Travers S.-G1, at Saratoga. ... But apparently that news came after an only-temporarily-correct story had broken that Leparoux would ride the 'Bird in West Virginia.

Or something.

Turns out the report about Leparoux was right until his agent "realized he had a prior commitment." ... The sort of commitment that apparently keeps him from riding a short-priced favorite in a $750,000 race.

This can't be the resolution that Allen and Woolley were hoping to achieve. Unseating Borel might have been the right move for them, because if Rachel Alexandra ends up in the Travers, too (or in the Jim Dandy-G2 on West Va. Derby Day) they were going to lose him, anyway.

But to go back to a jock who asked-off their horse prior to a Grade 1 ... and a jockey who will have to travel from California to ride their horse in these two eastern races ... and thus probably won't be working him in the interim ... and who didn't even commit beyond the end of August ... that can't be what Mine That Bird's principals were looking for.

I know they're New Mexico connections who are likely to blow away like tumbleweeds from the national racing landscape when this horse is gone. But he isn't looking like he'll be gone anytime soon.

Not only was Mine That Bird a convincing Derby winner in the slop, but he came back and scored a gutsy runner-up finish in the Preakness and a credible third in the Belmont Stakes without getting a good trip in either race. He's won over synthetic surfaces at Woodbine in earning a Canadian 2-year-old championship, and shouldn't chicken out of the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita like the connections of some horses. (You heard me, Jess Jackson and Rachel.)

And he's a 3-year-old gelding. He might race in good company until he's 6, or 7, or 8.

Not to mention, though they're being passed off as hayseeds who crashed the party -- c'mon, NTRA, you're telling me that in two months nobody can get around to writing a frickin' bio for these two guys for your Web site? -- Mark Allen reportedly has the better part of $30 million to play with from the sale of his family's oil field services company. If he hires a good bloodstock agent, he'll keep himself in competitive horses for as long as he cares to stay there.

Will nobody commit to this horse through the Breeders' Cup? ... Nobody?

To me it seems we have a Catch-22: Mine That Bird appears to be a very good horse with obscure connections, and those connections realize they have a horse worthy of one of the best jockeys in the country and aren't willing to settle for less.

It's possible that Mike Smith won't be faced with having to take off Mine That Bird before the Breeders' Cup on the first weekend November, but then again, he might. It's reasonable to believe the Travers on Aug. 29 won't be Mine That Bird's last race before a Nov. 7 trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders' Cup Classic. That's a lot of days between.

Could be he fits in the Super Derby-G2 on Sept. 19 at Louisiana Downs. Or is sent out against older horses for the first time in the Jockey Club Gold Cup-G1 on Oct. 3 at Belmont. Or wants to clobber other 3-year-olds in the Indiana Derby-G2 at Hoosier Park on Oct. 3.

Any of those, and maybe others not on the cusp of my brain, set up as a potential last race for Mine That Bird before the Breeders' Cup in November. And nobody is committed to ride him in September or October. Or November.

Allen and Woolley probably should've swallowed their pride and stepped down just one peg on the jockey ladder to find someone with ability -- a younger guy, an overlooked guy, or not a guy at all -- who would be thrilled to have a horse the caliber of Mine That Bird, and who would have to be dragged off him with a cowboy's lasso (which Woolley could probably accomplish) rather than be asking off him the next time they have a good horse running anywhere else.

And that's actually a decent list of people.

For me, it starts with Chantal Sutherland, who piloted Mine That Bird to his Canadian championship. She rode him to a dull finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but who knows how "off" the horse was after a long ship from Woodbine to Santa Anita last fall? Allen's Double Eagle Ranch and partner Buena Suerte Equine had only owned him a couple of weeks at the time. Sutherland is presently 34th in earnings among all North American riders according to Equibase.com, winning at a fair 14 percent clip and hitting the board with 43 percent of her mounts. And she might be a good public relations move -- hiring the horse's capable former jockey, a spokesmodel-pretty and well-spoken woman, to boot, to try and guide him to a Breeders' Cup win that eluded them both last year.

Of course, maybe one ride last fall for these connections was enough for Chantal; only she could say.

There are plenty of other names worth tossing into the discussion, though I'll admit to not knowing all the commitments for them that might conflict.

Rajiv Maragh is No. 10 on the 2009 jockey earnings list and second in wins at the present Belmont meet. Mike Luzzi and one of my favorites, Richard Migliore, are capable old hands at Saratgoa who could stand to win a $750K race at Mountaineer next month, and "Migs" knows his way around Santa Anita plenty well, too.

Churchill's colony, if they're looking for someone to work the horse regularly and ship with him to races, has some respectable possiblities. Young Miguel Mena, 22, is third in wins during the Churchill meet -- ahead of names like Robby Albarado, Shaun Bridgmohan, Corey Lanerie, and Jamie Theriot -- and could use a "big horse" to give his career an extra boost. Not Mena? Try one of those other names I just listed; Bridgmohan in particular. He's 17th in earnings this year among all North American jockeys.

Willing to go with a California-based jock who might be very interested in a mount for the Breeders' Cup out there? Joel Rosario is another who apparently doesn't merit mention among the bios at NTRA, but all he's doing is leading the Hollywood Park meet in wins with 62 from 292 mounts, is second in earnings to Rafael Bejarano, and his jockey agent is track announcer Vic Stauffer, so your gelding is not going to get overlooked when hanging around at the back of the pack before bringing his late run.

I'm not saying Mike Smith is a bad jockey for Mine That Bird. What I'm saying is, if Jerry and Ann Moss or their trainer, John Shirreffs, come up with a horse for the Classic, you're losing him. And with no commitment for September or October, you're possibly losing him even earlier than that.

I'm starting to feel for these guys a little bit, and particularly for their horse. Mine That Bird is a Kentucky Derby winner who deserves a regular rider.

But it looks like the riders the connections want won't make the horse their No. 1 mount, and the good jockeys who'd be glad to make Mine That Bird their No. 1 horse aren't the riders Allen and Woolley want.

Or maybe they're selling the horse before the Breeders' Cup anyway and only need their own jockey for two more races.

Five reasons why Mine That Bird will win the Preakness

What, you thought I gave the Kentucky Derby winner no chance in Saturday's Preakness Stakes?

1. Bye-bye, Borel: Believe it or not, I don't think Mine That Bird needs Calvin Borel. Though the jockey's ride in the Derby was masterful, the gelding has shown that he can win without him. Mine That Bird has five wins from nine starts, and those victories have come with three different jockeys; Chantal Sutherland is the leader with three. This loss of jockey really could be much ado about nothing when it comes to race-riding at Pimlico. In fact, if what trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. and primary owner Mark Allen want from the horse is to be taken back early (done in part by necessity and in part by design in the Derby, to great success), replacement jock Mike Smith is among the best at winning with a deep closer. (Remember Giacomo?) ... Besides, Borel, a 14-percent winner in 2009, is at his best at Churchill. The guy getting the pickup mount is a hall-of-famer winning at 18 percent. How bad a trade is that, really?

2. Rachel Won't Win: I'm not saying that's a surety, I'm just saying that Rachel Alexandra as favorite -- probably heavy favorite -- isn't as sure a thing as the final odds (whatever they might be) are likely to suggest. And not just because she's a filly (though it plays a role; first race against boys, her toughest field ever, etc.). Look what's being asked of her. She's won five straight, and streaks do typically end. She switches barns, from Hal Wiggins, who obviously knew her well, to Steve Asmussen, who (despite, no doubt, talks with Wiggins), hardly knows her at all. Shipped to Pimlico, new stall, new grooms, new regimen. ... Tall order.

3. The Race Sets Up For Him: Another point against Rachel, for starters. She draws the 13-hole, which superstitiously is a negative, and could be practically, as well. A filly who runs up front -- no further than a head off the lead in her five straight wins -- Rachel might have to spend considerable energy early to draw clear and be able to drop over toward the rail to avoid being hung out very wide on the far turn; especially if one of the boys on the inside decides to make it extra-tough on the filly. Meanwhile, 'Bird sits in the 2-hole with fairly fleet Big Drama to his inside, permitting Smith to take back only a little and get right on the rail to save ground. He can sit second or he can sit 12th, it's up to him and his horse. (See free Daily Racing Form Preakness PPs here.)

4. Remember His 'Dirty Little Secret?' Well, Forget It: Yesterday I noted Mine That Bird's two efforts over a fast, conventional dirt track have not been nearly good enough to win a Grade 1 race. (They weren't good enough to twin two ungraded stakes races.) A fast strip at Pimlico could be a problem. It also could be a moot point. The Weather Channel's hour-by-hour forecast predicts a 30 percent chance of rain or thunderstorms almost straight through in the 24-plus hours from 6 p.m. Preakness Eve, to the 6:15 Saturday evening post time. And the chance of rain escalates in the forecast to 50 percent shortly after the race, and 60 percent throughout Saturday night. If the track takes on moisture at any time after the Black Eyed Susan card today, and if the heavier or at least more-probable rain comes in just a little earlier than the advance forecast predicts, the field could find itself playing in the Derby champion's birdbath, much to his contentment.

5. David vs. Goliath (or, 'The Birdstone Factor'): In this case, Goliath is a girl, and a talented field she leads, and fate, and the odds, which will still be somewhat stacked against this little gelding, although hardly 50-1 as they were on Derby Day. He's a little guy -- by some reports barely 15 hands -- facing a monumental task. But so was his sire, Birdstone, on the day he stole the Belmont Stakes and a Triple Crown from Smarty Jones at 36-1 odds. Don't doubt for a minute that heart and a spirit can flow from sire and dam to son and daughter, just as surely as more tangible attributes such as color, stature, speed and stamina. Then there are the Preakness myths, of almost biblical proportions, primed for the little hero to overcome. ... "Pimlico is speed-favoring, and the traffic can make it even harder on a closer." He can get through; he's a small horse. ... "But the turns at Pimlico are so tight!" Did you forget he's a small horse? ... "But it is just too big a task." The bigger they come, the harder they fall; eh, Goliath? ... Maybe this 'Bird is just the "David" to do it.

Borel owes nothing to anybody, not even an explanation

For a decision that seemed like a relative no-brainer to me, Calvin Borel is catching a little bit of grief -- in the blogosphere anyway -- for choosing to take off Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird in order to stick with Rachel Alexandra and likely ride the filly in the Preakness Stakes.

For the life of me, the only two "reasons" I can see motivating Borel's detractors to believe that he should have retained the mount aboard Mine That Bird is some sense of tradition mingled with misguided loyalty ("How can you take off the Derby winner with the Preakness at hand?") or, potentially, something resembling chauvanism.

The latter sentiment would never really make sense, though that doesn't mean there aren't a few observers who believe that picking the male horse is always a shrewder choice. We'll see soon enough whether Mine That Bird and his new rider, as yet unnamed, can finish ahead of Rachel Alexandra in the Preakness. (And sure, if the 'Bird wins, Borel looks like a bonehead.)

You could make a better argument for the former if it wasn't apparent that Borel is likely choosing the better horse, and certainly the mount to which he feels a stronger connection and owes greater loyalty.

Calvin Borel has race-ridden Mine That Bird exactly once, in the Kentucky Derby. He did his job to perfection and brought home one of the unlikeliest of victories to the gelding's connections, trainer Bennie Woolley Jr. and owners Double Eagle Ranch and Buena Suerte Equine. Borel owes those connections nothing; they were blessed to have one of Churchill's best on their long-shot. He's paid any debt to them in full by winning that race.

Besides, their horse has run eight races in which he wasn't ridden by Calvin Borel. And won four of them, including three stakes races at Woodbine. In fact, those three stakes races were won with Chantal Sutherland in the irons. And wouldn't bringing her in to replace Borel spice up the Preakness? ... Borel takes off the gelding to ride the filly; MTB's connections ask their boy's long-lost ladyfriend, in whose company he had so many great dates, to step back into his life and show Borel what might have been!

Whether it's Chantal Sutherland, who has proven beyond doubt she can pilot this 'Bird to the winner's circle, or somebody else, the Derby winner is going to get a fine jockey in Borel's absence. After all, Mine That Bird is the Kentucky Derby winner. And much as I'm a fan of the man, Borel's brilliance gleams brightest at Churchill; another jockey might serve MTB even better at Pimlico.

Meanwhile, Rachel Alexandra and Borel have their own good thing going. They're undefeated since pairing up five races ago, including three Grade 2 stakes and the G1 Kentucky Oaks. It matters not to me that her connections have changed (read what I think about the sale); not from Borel's perspective, anyway. She has a legitimate shot of winning the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic (please call it "Distaff" again!) and a 3-year-old filly Eclipse, or more. You don't take off that sort of filly. You ride your heart out for her until whomever owns her says you can't ride her anymore.

A second undercurrent of negative sentiment in this debate is the belief of some in the blogosphere (or their readers, anyway) that fans would excoriate Woolley and Co. if they were to take Mine That Bird away from Borel and hand him to someone else for the Preakness. Certainly that would be true if Rachel Alexandra were pointed to the Black Eyed Susan instead of toward facing the boys. But it's far-fetched in my mind to think they'd even consider such a thing after the ride Borel gave their horse at Churchill; a ride in which Mine That Bird's career-best Beyer was elevated from an 81 to a 105. And even if they had -- considering Rachel Alexandra is expected in the Preakness -- what would Borel really have lost?

Wouldn't it be sort of like if a hypothetical gent miraculously found himself dating not one, but two former American Idol winners, and Kelly Clarkson up and tells him, "I've found someone new. Carrie Underwood can have you!" Sure, the blessing of abundance was great while it lasted. But how bummed out could he really be?

I still don't see how Borel can be faulted for the choice he's made. He's ridden Rachel Alexandra for five races to one (albeit brilliant ride) for Mine That Bird. She has "champion" written all over her and Mine That Bird still has something left to prove.

Borel's decision really shouldn't need so much explaining. Lucky for Calvin I'm here to save him the energy.