Last night, the 2011 Kentucky Derby odds had Twice the Appeal at 20/1. This morning he's made a startling leap up to 7/1, thanks apparently to the magnetism and track record of his jockey, Calvin Borel. Borel won the 2007 Kentucky Derby with Street Sense, the 2009 with 50/1 longshot Mine That Bird, and the 2010 with Super Saver, and his recent success has apparently led bettors to run the odds down on this year's mount, who wasn't considered a contender by many observers ahead of the race.
In fact, in last night's Derby preview, And Down the Stretch They Come didn't like Twice The Appeal at all—they worry about the competition the horse has faced to this point and his endurance at long distances, not to mention the "ridiculous" action Borel's name has inspired at the windows ahead of Saturday's race.
Calvin Borel is as close to a rock star as jockeys get, and the 2011 Kentucky Derby odds represent an extreme confidence in his ability to get a big sound out of a mediocre instrument.