NEW YORK — Calvin Borel didn’t break curfew the evening before the Belmont Stakes but he was appearing on the “Late Show with David Letterman”.

Borel will be aboard Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird on Saturday afternoon, trying to become the first jockey to capture a Triple Crown with two different horses. After the Derby win, Borel defected to Rachel Alexandra, guiding the filly to a one-length victory over Mine That Bird in the Preakness.
When Rachel Alexandra was withdrawn from Belmont consideration, Borel was reunited with the gelding who pulled off the Derby shocker at 50-1.
His Triple Crown success made Borel a hot media commodity, leading to the Letterman appearance recorded earlier this week.
Letterman wanted to know if Mind That Bird harbored any resentment.
“Now, will the horse be angry with you because you weren’t there for the middle jewel of the Triple Crown? That you were out running around with a girl?” Letterman asked.
Borel assured the host that everything was patched up. Borel also said there are no hard feelings toward the rival jockeys.
“I’m a very friendly guy,” Borel said. “You know, I mean, I’m out there to win, and they know it, you know. And they’re out there to win, but I think he’ll be the best horse in the race.”

EARLY CHOCOLATE: Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer was in a rush to get Chocolate Candy to New York.
Hollendorfer immediately set his sights on the Belmont after the colt’s fifth-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. The Preakness was never a consideration.
“I didn’t want to run in all those Triple Crown races in a row,” Hollendorfer said. “However, we might have gotten more pressure to run in the Preakness if he’d done better in the Derby.”
As far back as 15th at one point, Chocolate Candy showed enough determination in the Derby to warrant another Triple Crown try.
“He had a tough start, like a lot of horses did,” Hollendorfer said. “He showed he wasn’t easily discouraged.”
With the Belmont established as the new goal, Hollendorfer took the unusual step of shipping the horse to New York only days after the Derby. Most of the out-of-town Belmont runners, including Mine That Bird, arrived this week.
Hollendorfer hopes the additional acclimation period over the track with the sweeping turns and the sandy surface gives Chocolate Candy an edge.
“It was suggested to us to train over at Belmont for a while before you run over it,” said Hollendorfer. “I didn’t want to leave him on the road that long but it’s worked OK so far.”
Hollendorfer rarely runs horses in New York. He is well known in Northern California, where most of his over 5,000 career wins have come. Hollendorfer ranks third among active trainers, trailing only Jack Van Berg and King Leatherbury.
Chocolate Candy, 10-1 on the morning line, is owned by the Sid and Jenny Craig Trust. Sid lost a battle with cancer last July. Jenny, best known for the weight-loss company that bears her name, has continued the racing stable.
In Chocolate Candy, the trust has a colt who has won four of 10 races. Before the Derby, his most notable effort was a strong rally to get second in the Santa Anita Derby.

NOT SO HOT: Mr. Hot Stuff owns only one win in eight races, including a 15th place finish in the Derby where he was never a factor.
Some horses benefit from the Derby experience. Eoin Harty isn’t sure about Mr. Hot Stuff as he heads into the Belmont.
“I don’t know if he got anything out of the Derby,” the Irish-born trainer said. “I’m hoping it’s a throw-out race, one that we can just ignore and move on. He’s been training beautifully. Now he has to prove he belongs.”
Lack of prior success has not been a Belmont impediment in recent years. Both Jazil (2006) and Da’Tara (last year) had one victory on their resumes before winning the Belmont.
While hoping for the best, Harty is realistic about his horse’s chances.
“I have no idea how he’ll run,” Harty said. “I’m going to throw him in there and see what happens.”
Edgar Prado will be aboard the 15-1 shot for the first time.