George Woolf Award

The finalists have been named to for the 61st Annual George Woolf Memorial Award with the winner to be announced at Santa Anita in January. Here is the list of finalists:

Calvin Borel- Two-time Kentucky Derby winner (including this year), also jockey of probable Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra, in all of her big wins this year, including the Kentucky Oaks and the Preakness Stakes.

Garrett Gomez-Has been the leading money winner for jockeys each of the last three years 2006-2008.

Randy Meier- The all-time leading rider at both Hawthorne and Sportsman's in the Chicago area. Has won more than 4,000 races in his long career.

Gallyn Mitchell- The all-time leading rider at Emerald Downs near Seattle and has amassed more than $10,000,000 in career earnings at Emerald.

DeShawn Parker- First-time Woolf finalist that has won the riding title on numerous occasions at Mountaineer Park in West Virginia.

Who should be the winner? Well, if I had a vote (which I don't), I would cast it for Calvin Borel. This is clearly going to be the landmark year of his storied career. He was aboard the best horse in the land for the whole season and scored the second-biggest upset in the history of the Kentucky Derby with Mine That Bird. Best of all, he did it his way in the Derby, coming up the rail on a horse nobody gave any chance to. They don't call him Bo-rail for nothing.

Thanks to bloodhorse.com for some information used in this posting.

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