| When Mage triumphed in the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby earlier this month, the three-year-old thoroughbred overcame 15-1 odds to do so. 15-1 odds. A longshot. That win — along with my family's lifelong involvement in horse racing — has me thinking about longshots here of late. A lot. In the world of horse racing, one name that doesn't quite have the same recognition as Seabiscuit or Secretariat, but stands as a testament to unexpected success, is Mine That Bird. That gelding's journey to victory in the 2009 Kentucky Derby stands as a valuable lesson in horse racing — and the factors that can predict “longshot” champions. Mine That Bird was a longshot in every sense of the word. Bred in Canada, he lacked the pedigree of many of his competitors. His sire was Birdstone, who had won the Belmont Stakes, but his dam was a relatively unknown mare. Standing only 15.2 hands high, Mine That Bird was noticeably undersized compared to the typical thoroughbred. He was seen as a 50-1 Derby longshot. A rank outsider. But there were signs of his upside — hints at what was to come. For instance: He demonstrated significant speed and endurance — even if he hadn't maintained that performance level. He was paired with an experienced jockey, Calvin Borel, who'd notched the Kentucky Derby win in 2007. That brings me back to the 2009 Derby. Race morning was ugly: The track was a rain-abused, sloppy mess. And here's where Mine That Bird's real attributes began to shine through… where perceived negatives became positives. His “smallness” meant he was more agile than the bigger horses he was racing against — especially on the sloppy track that day. Borel expertly guided his horse through the pack. And then — in one of the most thrilling finishes in Derby history — Mine That Bird made a power move on the rail and pulled away to win by 6¾ lengths. With the largest margin in more than 60 years, the horse so many “experts” had dismissed out of hand was now a Derby champion. ![[vintage magazine story, page 2, portraying Bird-Borel Bombshell headline and image of rider on horse]](https://image.exct.derbycityinsights.com/lib/fe2e11717d640479771079/m/1/7133991e-4e38-4b61-a7d0-53a5380284fe.png)
In hindsight, the signs were there. As surprising as it seems, those “signs” can also be used to identify off-the-radar investment winners — like the energy drink maker we spotted three years ago whose stock just hit an all-time high. And that's what I want to show you here today… Click here to continue reading | 
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