3-time Derby winner Borel leads Hall inductees

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Jockey Calvin Borel, who captured the Kentucky Derby three times in four years, led the class of inductees into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony Friday.

Along with Borel, five thoroughbreds and two racing luminaries were inducted Friday in a ceremony at the hall across Union Avenue from storied Saratoga Race Course, where the nation’s best thoroughbreds are currently competing.

“The horse and God have taken Calvin Borel from the swamps of Louisiana to the Hall of Fame,” said trainer Carl Nafzger, for whom Borel rode Street Sense to victory in the 2007 Kentucky Derby.

Borel delegated most of his acceptance speech to his wife, Lisa.

“I’ve worked hard,” Borel said in a brief statement. “And it’s paid off — big time.”

The 46-year-old Borel has ridden the winners of more than 5,000 races and has purses exceeding $121 million in a career that began in 1983. Besides the 2007 win at Churchill Downs, he won the Derby with Mine That Bird in 2009 and with Super Saver the next year.

Only three other riders, Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack with five and Willie Shoemaker with four, have more Derby wins. Borel joins all of them in the Hall.

Borel was nearly unstoppable in 2009 aboard Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, winning the Preakness, Woodward, Haskell, Mother Goose, and Kentucky Oaks.

The other inductees were:

— Invasor, a champion on three continents who won 11 of 12 career starts with earnings of $7.8 million. He was the Horse of the Year and Champion Older Male in 2006 when he won the Pimlico Special, Suburban Handicap, Whitney Handicap, and Breeders’ Cup Classic.

— Lure, who won 14 of 25 career starts with earnings of $2.5 million. Lure won the Breeders’ Cup Mile in 1992-93 and nine graded stakes.

— Housebuster, a sprinter who won 15 races in 22 career starts and earned more than $1.2 million. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Sprinter in 1990-91.

— McDynamo won 17 of 34 career starts and retired as the leading career earner among steeplechase horses with $1,310,104. He won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase Horse in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

— Tuscalee won 39 of 89 career starts with career earnings of $130,917 while racing from 1963 through 1972. He is the career leader in steeplechase victories with 37. Tuscalee also set the single-year record for steeplechase wins with 10 in 1966.

August Belmont III and Paul Mellon were inducted under a new category, Pillars of the Turf.