Jockey Calvin Borel rings opening NYSE bell

By: SPORTS NETWORK

New York, NY (Sports Network) - Two days before the running of the 141st Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park, jockey Calvin Borel was given the honor of ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Borel, along with Kentucky Derby winning trainer Chip Woolley, was at the NYSE Thursday morning in honor of Saturday's $1 million Belmont Stakes. Also in attendance were Mark Allen and Dr. Leonard Blach owners of Kentucky Derby champ and Belmont hopeful Mine That Bird, three-time leading New York trainer Gary Contessa and representatives of the New York Racing Association.

While this will be the first Belmont Stakes that Borel will compete in, he is quite familiar with the 1 1/2 mile oval.

"I've ridden there a lot of times," he said. "It's like any track -- you just turn left."

Borel is seeking to become the first jockey in the history of thoroughbred racing to sweep the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes while riding two different horses. He won the Derby aboard Mine That Bird, the Preakness aboard the filly Rachel Alexandra, and will be back on Mine That Bird for the Belmont Stakes.

"It would be awesome, but it won't sink in until afterward," Borel said about sweeping the Triple Crown races. "I'm just going out there to win the race. I want to win it for Chip (Woolley) because I owe that to him for giving me the opportunity to ride the horse back. This is a dream, and I'm just riding it right now."