Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel has orchestrated numerous surprising victories in major competitions, notably piloting Mine That Bird to an astonishing 50.60-1 triumph, hugging the rail on a muddy track, at the 2009 Kentucky Derby.
Borel’s success riding Rockamundo in the 1993 Arkansas Derby undoubtedly stands as one of the most significant upsets witnessed during the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby.
“We recognized that anyone reviewing the [Daily Racing Form] would have considered our decision to enter this horse as irrational,” stated owner Gary West regarding Rockamundo’s entry in the 1993 Arkansas Derby.
This bay colt, sired by Key to the Mint, displayed glimpses of potential during his two-year-old season under trainer Orin J. “Benny” Glass Jr. and owners Gary and Mary West. Despite securing just one win in seven outings, he placed among the top three in three stakes races, which included a third-place result in the Grade 2 Arlington-Washington Futurity.
Rockamundo concluded his two-year-old campaign in the Rhythm Stakes at Gulfstream Park, where he finished fourth, a mere half-length behind the winner, in the one-mile and 70-yard event held as part of the Breeders’ Cup preliminary races.
Regrettably, Rockamundo demonstrated minimal performance in his initial two races as a three-year-old. He placed 11th, trailing by 11 lengths in the Louisiana Derby, and subsequently went unplaced, falling 10 ¾ lengths behind in the Remington Park Derby. Consequently, despite having exhibited some talent as a two-year-old, he had performed poorly in both of his three-year-old appearances and possessed only a single victory (achieved in Nebraska) across nine starts prior to the 1993 Arkansas Derby. Among the ten-horse lineup, he was one of just two contenders with odds exceeding 30-1, standing as the longest shot at 108-1 on April 17 at the Hot Springs, Ark., racetrack.
“We did not perceive any of it as a personal affront,” Gary West conveyed to BloodHorse. “We comprehend that any individual reviewing the [Daily Racing Form] would have deemed our decision to race this horse as absurd.”
Having typically been a deep closer in his preceding nine races, Rockamundo was partnered with Borel for the first time in the Arkansas Derby. Borel recounted feeling “astonished” as Rockamundo displayed unexpected early pace, maintaining a position within a length of the front-runner, Foxtrail.
“Upon realizing I had ample reserve from my horse at the half-mile marker, my confidence began to build considerably,” Borel stated.
Following Foxtrail’s brisk lead, clocking a half-mile in :45.82 and six furlongs in 1:09.95, the pacesetter started to falter. Borel then steered Rockamundo through an inner gap, seizing the lead. He marked the occasion with an enthusiastic flick of the whip as Rockamundo passed the wire a length and a half ahead, much to the astonishment of many among the 70,002 spectators.
“This unequivocally stands as my most exhilarating moment in horse racing,” expressed Glass, who was 44 at the time.
Borel, then 26, had not yet competed in a race at Churchill Downs; however, in subsequent years, the Louisiana native would achieve over 1,200 victories at the renowned Louisville course, including Kentucky Derby triumphs with Street Sense (2007), Mine That Bird (2009), and Super Saver (2010).
Rockamundo, ridden by Borel, placed 17th in the 1993 Kentucky Derby, which was claimed by Sea Hero, and following his colossal upset, the Arkansas Derby champion failed to secure another victory in seven subsequent unplaced starts.
“Should it have been a stroke of luck, it was a rather fortunate one,” Glass remarked after the Arkansas Derby.
And truly, it was.
