2011 Breeders Cup Classic – Drosselmeyer
A jockey who suffered the most-crushing loss of his career in the same race a year ago, a trainer with whom he had won many major races in years past, and a horse who had been long forgotten since his Belmont Stakes victory 17 months earlier combined to win the richest race of the year on Saturday at Churchill Downs, when Drosselmeyer stormed down the center of the track to take the million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Jockey Mike Smith, who said he was “devastated” when Zenyatta suffered the lone loss of her career here in last year’s Classic, and trainer Bill Mott, who won the Ladies’ Classic on Friday with Royal Delta, worked their old-time magic with Drosselmeyer, who had won just one time in six starts since his 2010 Belmont Stakes victory. That was the only previous time that Smith had ridden Drosselmeyer in a race. Asked how long it took to get over Zenyatta’s defeat, Smith said, “Until now.” www.drf.com
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November 6th, 2011 at 1:06 am
Good Job Drosselmeyer!!!!
November 6th, 2011 at 1:27 am
This is the kind of result that makes me wonder how good Animal Kingdom could be next season. 2:04.27 is the 2nd slowest Classic in history. Animal Kingdom won the Derby in 2:02.04 in his first try on dirt, lost to Shackleford (2nd in the BC Mile) by less than a length in the Preakness, and made an incredible run to get 6th in the Belmont following his early trouble. I was initially skeptical following the Derby, but all things considered, I think Animal Kingdom could be a major force next year.
November 6th, 2011 at 1:43 am
Get rid of the blinkers !
So you think would have done a better job without them !
November 6th, 2011 at 2:04 am
Big time Mike Smith!
November 6th, 2011 at 2:31 am
I really don’t follow horse racing but hot damn! Not much else in all of sports comes close to the exhilaration associated with a finish like that.
November 6th, 2011 at 2:39 am
So you think was always going to run a good race but he really looks like he has enough this time, he did look like it the last time but Aidan did not think so.
November 6th, 2011 at 2:44 am
What is amazing about Mike Smith is he is a good judge of pace and will let the other go wild while he takes his sweet time making his horse comfortable in the run. Works a treat for him most of the time..
November 6th, 2011 at 4:47 am
@santolcaimito You surely aren’t saying that the great Aiden O’Brien has made an error with the preparation of So You Think? : /
November 6th, 2011 at 5:34 am
great race from mike smith and drosselmeyer
November 6th, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Give it a rest on O’Brien, he is the best trainer in the world, which other trainer in history year in year out tries his hardest to win every G1 in the world? From the Phoenix stakes in Ireland to the Kentucky Derby, O’Brien has a runner in it, he may have not won everything but no other trainer comes close, think no other trainer would have got SYT closer, feel good for Mike Smith tho, great ride.
November 6th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
@MBernier08 I seriously think you could be spot on the money with that comment! If all goes well with Animal Kingdom and winters well and trains on then a serious serious prospect there. A super horse in the making? He might of got even nearer in the Preakness if he had been rode slightly different saving more for the finnish.
He will surely run up a sequence next year fingers crossed, and finish the season with a BC
November 7th, 2011 at 12:41 am
The REAL Battle Of The Exes! Smith over Sutherland.
November 8th, 2011 at 12:33 am
THE WORST FIELD in the history of the classic!!!!! none of these horses would even placed in previous runnings…..2:04 n change!! bunch of grade 2 overachievers.
November 14th, 2011 at 10:45 am
Mike did say that the loss in the 2010 BCC will always hurt, but this year’s win helped a lot!
November 15th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Pre-race a little voice in my head said “Drosselmeyer.” Seriously. I wish I had put some money on him.
November 21st, 2011 at 10:43 am
Sorry but, this race suck, Drosselmeyer is good horse but not is any champion, Acclamation kick your ass in any side, in any time!!!
November 21st, 2011 at 10:29 pm
@drofheim Mr. Aidan O’Brien is an excellent trainer, but best in the world? He has run 25 horses in the Arc, and despite having the full backing of Coolmore, he he has won it once. He hasn’t won the Breeders Cup Classic and his record at the Breeders Cup overall is pretty weak. Even if you confine the argument to European trainers his record in big races is good, but considering the talent and numbers of horses he has access to, I don’t think it is extraordinary.
November 22nd, 2011 at 5:08 am
@drofheim I’m sorry, but Bart Cummings is the best trainer in the world …. ever, and he would have got SYT right to the top of his game to win this race, and in my opinion, he would have won the Arc aswell.
November 22nd, 2011 at 10:04 pm
@TennGardener I did. He was my key and capped my best BC betting ever.
November 25th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
I’m just thinking out loud here. So You Think didn’t show the kind of acceleration on dirt that he’s shown on turf. But he by no means disgraced himself in the Classic, either. Knowing that good turf horses have had a lot of success racing on synthetics, I wonder if Ballydoyle might send him to Meydan for a crack at the Dubai World Cup on tapeta? They did send Cape Blanco last year, and I think the race and surface would suite SYT down to the ground. I think he’d do as well as Cape Blanco did.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
chantel almost had it too that would have been a nice story also congrats to mike smith and trainer will mott !!
December 15th, 2011 at 8:59 am
OK OK BUT HE WAS NOT TOO FAR BAK AND TOOK THE SHORTEST TRIP AROUND THE TRACK SOMETHING AND WHAT IS BASIC HORSE RACING HE DID NOT DO WITH ZENYATTA !!
December 15th, 2011 at 9:00 am
OK OK BUT HE WAS NOT TOO FAR BACK AND TOOK THE SHORTEST TRIP AROUND THE TRACK SOMETHING AND WHAT IS BASIC HORSE RACING HE DID NOT DO WITH ZENYATTA !!
December 16th, 2011 at 9:02 am
Uncle Mo reminds me a bit of Helmet here in Aus, both terrific milers and came into ther 1st attempt at a big G1 10f race as favourite Uncle Mo (BC classic) and Helmet (Cox Plate) but couldnt stay the trip. Great race! thank you for the video and well done to Drosselmeyer.
December 16th, 2011 at 9:26 am
SYT was on the go for too long in 2011 with only a short break between the Coral eclipse and Irish Champion stakes. I hope AOB has a clearer picture on what races SYT should target for 2012 then in 2011 where he seems to only decide after each race was done.