Drosselmeyer wins BC Classic in day of upsets
Published 4:00 am Sunday, November 6, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Talk about a battle of the sexes — and a couple of exes.
Drosselmeyer, a 14-1 long shot, roared down the middle of the track and caught Game On Dude in the closing strides to win the $5 million Classic by 1½ lengths Saturday, capping a weekend of upsets at the Breeders’ Cup.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith beat his former fiancee, Chantal Sutherland, who rode Game On Dude. A year ago, Smith walked off the track in tears after losing the race on superstar Zenyatta by a head.
“Chantal did a great job,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Game On Dude. “I can’t believe she got beat by Mike Smith.”
Drosselmeyer ran 1¼ miles in 2:04.27 under the lights at Churchill Downs and paid $31.60 to win. Ruler On Ice was third.
Filly Havre de Grace, the 4-1 second choice, finished fourth against the boys. Flat Out, the 7-2 favorite, was fifth for 70-year-old trainer Scooter Dickey.
So You Think, the 5-1 co-third choice with Uncle Mo, was sixth. To Honor and Serve was seventh, followed by Ice Box, Rattlesnake Bridge, Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty and Headache.
The Classic produced the final upset of a weekend full of surprises.
The biggest was by 64-1 shot Court Vision, who took down three-time winner Goldikova in the Mile.
Afleet Again won at 41-1 odds in the Marathon, and 18-year-old Irishman Joseph O’Brien became the youngest jockey to win a Breeders’ Cup race, taking the Turf on St Nicholas Abbey for his father-trainer Aidan O’Brien.
Hansen upset even-money favorite Union Rags by a head in a thrilling finish to the $2 million Juvenile, tabbing the gray colt as the winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby.