For a Derby that looked pretty mundane on paper going in, May 2, 2009 turned out to be one of the more exciting days in racing. And nobody died, which already gives it a leg up on he 2008 race day. Mark Johnson, from the UK, is Churchill Downs's new race caller. He did a spectacular job. Used to calling races of up to 40 horses, he had no problems with these fields, and his articulation is beautiful. Very easy to understand.

Before I get into the full Derby day race card, I want to take a minute to comment on the Kentucky Oaks, the first of the Triple Tiara races, run on May 1, appropriately, May Day. It was won hugely by Rachel Alexandria, ridden by Calvin Borel. She won in jaw-dropping fashion, sparking even more rumors that, had she been entered in the Derby, she would have wiped the track with the boys. She's definitely talented enough. However, her connections strongly believe that horses should run with their own gender. I disagree with that -- a talented horse is a talented horse, regardless of gender. Think Ruffian, Winning Colors, Rags for Riches, and, yes, even the tragic Eight Belles. But they have the right to make that decision. It doesn't take away from her prominence, and I hope we have her around for several racing seasons.

Now, to Derby Day.

1st Race: I didn't bet on this race. I wanted to see how the surface played, especially in the bad weather, and how much reshuffling I'd have to do in my original picks. I originally picked RAPOSA, SECRET HUMOR, and BRITANNIA ROSE. I stayed with them, as an experiment. RAPOSA, piloted by Calvin Borel, set the pace, wore out BRITANNIA ROSE, and won nicely. BR came in fourth, wearing out after her duel with RAPOSA, and SECRET HUMOR faded to a disappointing fifth.

2nd Race: RILEY TUCKER was my only choice in this race, and I bet him across the board. He was in good form today, practically skipping around the track under Garrett Gomez to a nice win. So far, I felt pretty good about my picks.

3rd Race: I'd decided ahead of time not to bet on this one, but keep an eye on BIG FLIRT for the show spot. I should have bet, because that's exactly where BIG FLIRT landed. LUV GOV won, wearing out GOLD BREW in a duel; GOLD BREW came in second.

4th Race: I bet NORTHERN PRINCE and GLENWOOD CANYON as a boxed exacta. I'd considered an additional bet on just NORTHERN PRINCE, but passed. Turned out I didn't need to, because the boxed exacta came in with GLENWOOD CANYON on top, who wore down NORTHERN PRINCE.

5th Race: Originally, I wanted to bet WHY TONTO and ARCTIC CRY across the board and as a boxed exacta, with a few dollars tossed towards JAZZ IN THE PARK and LEADING ON. I was on the fence about DESERT WHEAT. ARCTIC CRY was scratched. So I decided to bet WHY TONTO and JAZZ IN THE PARK across the board, with DESERT WHEAT (who looked better than I expected) in the place spot. I regretfully passed on LEADING ON, even though he was ridden by Mike Smith. It just didn't feel like his day. I worried about WHY TONTO in the post parade; he was fretful, and I felt he wore himself out, but it was too late at that point to change the bet. I'm glad I stuck with JAZZ IN THE PARK. Calvin Borel made some great decisions, getting the horse out of traffic. The horse trusted him completely, and they won. DESERT WHEAT looked like he'd given up early, but rallied and managed second. WHY TONTO was outmaneuvered by PICK SIX for the show spot. LEADING ON never really fired, so I'm glad I passed.

6th Race--The Churchill Downs Stakes: On paper, the only horse I liked was THE ROUNDHOUSE. At the paddock, I thought ACCREDIT looked superb, and had a record of 4-for-4 wins on off tracks. The track was still definitely off, so I decided to bet both horses across the board. Julien Leparoux, ACCREDIT's rider, did a great job maneuvering this horse for a very clear lead over MY PAL CHARLIE and THE ROUNDHOUSE, who came in 2-3.

7th Race -- The Eight Belles Stakes: Time for everyone to get all misty here. Eight Belles was a filly who came in second in the 2008 Derby, only to break down right past the finish line and have to be euthanized on the track. Her death sparked a series of protests that provoked some serious changes in the racing industry, changes that are a good start to improving the safety of the overall sport, cut down on the heartbreak, and still keep it exciting. A Navy Honor Guard tolled a bell eight times in her honor before the race. I was in tears and so was just about everyone else. I also felt manipulated and annoyed with the media for showing her break-down over and over and over again. As far as the race, my original choices were WARRIOR MAID and LARAGH. LARAGH was scratched because she ran -- and won The Edgewood Stakes on Kentucky Oaks day, one day earlier. I wanted to pick at least one more horse to bet across the board in this race. JUST JENDA was the sentimental favorite, trained, as WARRIOR MAID is, by Larry Jones, who trained EIGHT BELLES. And JJ has lots of personality. AUSPICIOUS had a good attitude, and CS SILK was gorgeous. But I picked a little gray filly named FOUR GIFTS because she seemed very practical and professional. And she showed both, weaving in and out of the other horses on her way around the course, picking them off for a nice win. My WARRIOR MAID came in third.

8th Race -- Churchill Downs Distaff Turf Stakes: Mike Smith rode LEMON CHIFFON, one of my favorite mares. I bet her across the board. I also bet TIZAQUEENA across the board. She's one of TIZ NOW's daughters and has a lot of Daddy's attitude. My other original choice, SUGAR MINT, was scratched. I was interested in ELUSIVE LADY, but she didn't seem that interested in the day, so I passed. I stuck with my two original choices and didn't add anyone else in. TIZAQUEENA was wonderful. She was completely relaxed. She made very specific moves around the track, challenging, holding, moving forward, relaxing, and then repeating the sequence. She intimidated LEMON CHIFFON as much as she outran her, and when DAWN AFTER DAWN challenged her near the finish line, dug down and gave even more. She decided in the post parade she was going to win this race, and that was it. It was a beautiful performance.

9th Race -- Humana Distaff Stakes: This was one of the big upsets of the day, and a fun one. TIZ TO DREAM, another TIZ NOW filly was in this race, but at long odds. I tossed a bit of show money at her. GAME FACE, a horse I really like, was entered here, so I bet her across the board. SECRET GYPSY, another horse I like, I slotted into the place spot. She likes slop, so I hoped she'd do well here. I also threw a few show bucks at BEAR NOW, another TIZ NOW filly for the simple reason that she was sired by TIZ NOW. The race was won by a wonderful gray filly named INFORMED DECISION, with another great ride by Julien Leparoux, who picked her way through traffic, completely trusting her jockey and also using her own sense when she saw holes open up. It was a fantastic ride, and she was far and away the best horse in the field that day. TEMPLE STREET surged back for second, which was a surprise, considering she looked worn out by mid-race. DUBAI MAJESTY and MODIFICATION shared the show spot in a dead heat. MODIFICATION duelled GAME FACE out of contention before catching up to DUBAI MAJESTY, and TIZ TO DREAM did a little hop out of the gate and looked more like a cat trying to chase birds than a horse trying to run a race. Still, she beat both BEAR NOW and SECRET GYPSY. My sense was that SECRET GYPSY was injured somehow in the race, although, by deadline, I have not been able to confirm that. As wonderful as INFORMED DECISION'S win was, MODIFICATON's performance and poise was impressive enough to want to keep her on my list for the future.

10th Race -- Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes: There was no question in my mind regarding my top choice in this race: Einstein, trained by Helen Pitts, ridden by Julien Leparoux, who won in the same spot last year. Einstein is seven, and he just keeps getting better and better. He's smart and talented, a wonderful combination. I considered PROUDINSKY, but passed -- he didn't seem focused enough to me yesterday. I stuck with COURT VISION and long shot THORN SONG as place picks. EINSTEIN didn't wipe the field -- second-place finisher COWBOY CAL made him work for it -- but he got the job done. COURT VISION battled hard to get the show spot, with THORN SONG a fifth. I was glad I passed on PROUDINKSY -- he came in sixth, running out of the little steam he had pretty early.

11th Race -- The Kentucky Derby: I reshuffled my Derby Deck quite a bit over the 48 hours prior to the race. As usual, my early favorites in the year dropped away as the preps wore on, and, frankly, I wasn't all that thrilled about this year's field. I was never on the I WANT REVENGE bandwagon, even when "everyone" said he couldn't be beat. I'm very sorry he was scratched due to injury -- I don't want any horse in pain -- but he was never on my list. My favorite was FRIESAN FIRE. Loved the horse's personality, the fact he liked the muck, and his pedigree. He started as my top choice. He stayed my top choice, bet across the board, although I didn't like that he became the favorite after REVENGE's scratch. I loved PIONEER OF THE NILE, especially because of his sire, EMPIRE MAKER. He was my next choice, across the board. I like his endurance, and I like his poise. I was originally on the fence about DUNKIRK. I think he's one of the most beautiful horses in the field (okay, I'm partial to gray horses, can you tell?). Unbridled Song is his sire, which I liked. My concern was his mental capacity -- he still runs a bit greenly, in my opinion, and I wasn't sure he was up to the task mentally. However, I like him so much, I figured what the hell, and bet him across the board as well. I also did a boxed trifecta of FRIESAN FIRE, PIONEER OF THE NILE, and DUNKIRK.

Then came the longer shots. I was always going to bet a bit of show money on CHOCOLATE CANDY because his rider is Mike Smith, and I'm loyal to Smith. I bet him on every big race he rides. I looked at MINE THAT BIRD and SUMMER BIRD because they were sired by BIRDSTONE. BIRDSTONE smashed Smarty Jones's Triple Crown dreams. He's a tough, small horse. He was never a particular favorite of mine, although a friend of mine who works a lot with horses and worked with Birdstone has him pegged as one of her favorite horses of all time, in smarts, talent, and personality. SUMMER BIRD, to me, seemed more like a sprinter than a distance runner, so I tossed out SUMMER BIRD. I thought MINE THAT BIRD the stronger of the two, looking a lot like his Dad, but he seemed a bit on the quiet side. STREET CRY sired DESERT PARTY, but DESERT PARTY just didn't do it for me. FLYING PRIVATE was sired by one of my all-time favorites, FUSAICHI PEGASUS. However, I think FP's daughters are better than his sons, bringing in Daddy's attitude with their dams' poise, provided the dam is poised. If FLYING PRIVATE was a filly, I'd have bet; however, even feeling disloyal, I decided to pass. HOLD ME BACK was sired by GIANT'S CAUSEWAY. I tend to have better luck with his progeny on grass than dirt. I wavered back and forth all day Saturday, and finally passed. MR. HOT STUFF was sired by my fave, TIZ NOW. I like his look and stamina, but he seemed immature. If he runs in the Belmont, I'll put money on him there, but I chose to pass on him in this spot. I love PAPA CLEM's personality, but he seemed to me more like a Preakness horse than a Derby horse. HIs dam, MISS HOUDINI, and his second dam, MAGICAL MAIDEN, were part of what drew me to him in the first place. Ultimately, though, I passed. I loved the story behind GENERAL QUARTERS, and, frankly, fell in love with his face. Just adorable.

By the time I hit the betting window, I stuck with my three originals: FRIESAN FIRE, PIONEER OF THE NILE, and DUNKIRK, all three across the board and a boxed trifecta. I also put show bets on CHOCOLATE CANDY and GENERAL QUARTERS.

I forgot all about MINE THAT BIRD.

My mistake.

I lost sight of FRIESAN FIRE at the start. I know he was bumped, but I just couldn't find him in the cluster of horses, and he, obviously, couldn't find his way out. He would up coming in 18th out of 19 horses, a huge disappointment for a horse that good. I knew it was all over for DUNKIRK four steps out of the gate,when he and PAPA CLEM bumped, and that did him in mentally. That left me with PIONEER OF THE NILE. He was brushed by one of the hordes at the start, but it didn't seem to faze him. He steadied and got back into the game. I felt he was too close to the front too soon, but he sure hung on, and wound up in a place spot, managing to hold off all the others. CHOCOLATE CANDY ran a really steady race, was forced a bit wide, but managed to finish fifth. PAPA CLEM finished fourth, which surprised me. I lost sight of GENERAL QUARTERS early on, too, in the shuffle. He finished tenth, one ahead of DUNKIRK.

MINE THAT BIRD kicked ass. He was waaaay back at the start, letting everyone else battle for a spot and freak each other out. Once lanes were settled, he started picking them off. Calvin Borel angled him around another horse and back to the rail, and then he just accelerated. It was like he had a jetpack on -- he zoomed past everyone. They were all battling each other, and MINE THAT BIRD left them eating mud. It was beautiful. Calvin laughed, cried, and cheered over the finish line, and the horse was like, "Yeah. I won. I know I won. I'm the damn best horse out here today." There was no arrogance in the horse, just confidence. I don't know his dam, MINING MY OWN, but I'm going to do some research and find out if he got the quiet confidence from her and his toughness from his sire.

If I'm going to lose, I'd rather lose to one of the longest shots on the board (and now the second biggest payout in Derby history, knocking Giacomo -- who, by the way, was my pick because he was ridden by Mike Smith in 2005 -- down to the third biggest payout slot). I'm also delighted that a horse who cost $9500 and whose trainer drove him in a little trailer hitched to a pickup truck 21 hours from New Mexico, in spite of a shattered ankle, outran all the millionaire horses. Love over money, that's the way I like it.

12th Race: I always really like the race after the Big Race of the day, because no one's paying attention except the hard-core horse players, and you can get value for money. I bet PASSION DU COEUER, LUSTER, and LACIE SLEW across the board. Originally, I was going to toss a few dollars at PEARL OF VALOR to show, but she didn't look like her heart was in it today, so I passed. LUSTER won, easily. PASSION DU COEUER didn't seem to pay attention to anything,and wound up last. LACIE SLEW and her jockey (Calvin Borel, of all people), had different ideas of how the race should be run. Lacie wore herself out halfway through the race and wound up fourth.

13th Race: Another good shot at value for money, because so many people leave, trying to beat the traffic (hah!). Originally, I wanted to go with JUST RIGHT, CULLIMAN, and URBAN LEGEND, with AMBERGRIS CAVE as my longshot. AMBERGRIS CAVE was scratched. I wound up betting JUST RIGHT to place, with URBAN LEGEND and CULLIMAN in show spots. JUST RIGHT placed, worn down by GLOSS, who gave one of the most relaxed runs I've seen in a long time. URBAN LEGEND came in fourth, with CULLIMAN fifth.

Coming in to the day, I figured there was no chance in hell this year for a Triple Crown, even though I really liked FRIESAN FIRE, PIONEER OF THE NILE and DUNKIRK in the Derby. I figured the three races would be spread out among them, or among them and some fresh horses. With MINE THAT BIRD's huge win -- 6 and 3/4 lengths ahead of PIONEER OF THE NILE -- I'm now curious to see how far this little horse can go. Last year, we had BIG BROWN, who I used to joke had one of the biggest butts I've ever seen on any horse, other than CIGAR once he retired. BIG BROWN was a big horse. MINE THAT BIRD is small and sturdy, like his father. It will be interesting to see if and how he makes it work. Best of luck to him, in two weeks at the Preakness.

This is Devon Ellington's tenth year of Triple Crown Coverage. Her first YA horse racing mystery, DIXIE DUST RUMORS , will release this summer under the "Jenny Storm" pseudonym. Visit http://www.devonellingtonwork.com/jennystorm.html for more information.