NEWS
Drosselmeyer gives Mott a ‘classics’ sweep
Posted: Saturday, November 05, 2011 7:31 PM
DROSSELMEYER
PhotosByZ.com/Thoroughbred Times
For video of the Breeders' Cup Classic, click here.
by Frank Angst
Less than 24 hours after winning the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) with Royal Delta, Bill Mott saddled Drosselmeyer to an upset victory on Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs.
The Racing Hall of Fame trainer becomes the second trainer to sweep the two prestigious Breeders’ Cup main-track races in the same year.
“You know, you can’t ever fathom thinking about winning two races like this on a weekend—I mean the biggest, most prestigious races of the weekend,” Mott said.
Elliott Walden, president of Drosselmeyer’s owner, WinStar Farm, credited Mott with helping the four-year-old Distorted Humor to peak at the right time.
“I think anybody that’s seen him train all week, well for two weeks, would just know that this horse is doing very well and peaking at the right time,” Walden said.
Mott thought the 1 ¼-mile distance of the race would help Drosselmeyer thrive and would see that vision fulfilled thanks to a powerful stretch run.
“His biggest attribute, we all know, is his stamina. He ran well,” Mott said. “He gave me one of the biggest wins of my career when he won the Belmont Stakes (G1) going 1 ½ miles.”
At odds of 14.80-to-1, Drosselmeyer passed nine opponents in the final quarter-mile, surging in the middle of the track under jockey Mike Smith, who tied Jerry Bailey for the most victories in Breeders’ Cup history at 15. Earlier in the day, Smith guided Amazombie to victory in the Sentient Jet Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). After that race, Smith stopped by an ESPN broadcast booth where Bailey was sitting. “I told him I was coming after him,” Smith said.
That promise would be fulfilled just a few hours later as Smith found himself on racing’s roller-coaster one year after just missing a second straight Classic victory aboard Zenyatta, who was edged by Blame last year in the same Churchill stretch.
“Last year, I was just devastated; I felt like my life was over,” Smith said. “It’s just amazing.”
While Drosselmeyer had won just one race, a listed stakes, in six starts since taking last year’s Belmont Stakes (G1), the Distorted Humor colt showed signs of turning things around in the 1 ¼-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, where he passed three horses in the stretch to finish second, 2 ¼ lengths behind winner Flat Out.
Earlier this week, Mott commented that the Breeders’ Cup Classic’s larger field also could help Drosselmeyer, who started in fields with an average size of six in his three previous main-track starts. Saturday’s race under the lights before a crowd of 65,143 saw a dozen horses break from the gate.
Mott joins John Shirreffs (2009) as the only trainer to win the Classic and Ladies’ Classic (previously the Distaff) in the same year.
As it turned out, Goodwood Stakes (G1) winner Game On Dude cruised through a half-mile in :47.84. After six furlongs in :1:12.82, Game On Dude opened a clear lead in the stretch, as he nearly carried jockey Chantal Sutherland into history.
“He ran every inch of the way and he was really tired at the end,” said Sutherland, who was vying to become the first woman rider to win the Classic. “I am so proud of him. He ran great.”
Earlier this year Smith edged Sutherland in a match race at Del Mar promoted as the “Battle of the Exes,” but this time the $4,545,000 Classic was on the line for the two riders who previously dated when they hooked up in the stretch.
Game On Dude withstood challenges throughout from several horses, including Drosselmeyer’s stablemate To Honor and Serve and multiple Group 1 winner So You Think (NZ), making his U.S. debut and first start on dirt, but the Awesome Again gelding found more and opened a clear lead in deep stretch. On the far outside, Drosselmeyer launched a desperate late run to secure the win in 2:04.27 on a track rated as fast.
Smith said Sutherland should be proud.
“She rode an awesome race,” he said.
Drosselmeyer made an unsuccessful attempt on turf in August, where he finished seventh in the Sword Dancer Invitational Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, but Mott said Drosselmeyer peaked after the turf experiment.
“At the beginning of the year, he was really fat and didn’t get into any rhythm,” Mott said. “After the Sword Dancer, it was like somebody flipped a switch.”
Finishing one length behind Game On Dude in third was this year’s Belmont Stakes winner Ruler On Ice. The top three finishers eluded many handicappers as they were sent off at win odds of 14.80-to-1, 14.20-to-1, and 17.20-to-1, respectively.
The race’s 3.60-to-1 favorite, Flat Out was trying to win a second straight 1 ¼-mile Grade 1 race. But after racing one position ahead of Drosselmeyer through six furlongs, Flat Out struggled to make up ground in the stretch, finishing fifth.
Filly Havre de Grace attempted to join Zenyatta as a female winner of the Classic. The four-year-old Saint Liam filly was well-positioned in the stretch, but could not catch Game On Dude and finished fourth.
“She didn’t do anything to tarnish herself,” said trainer Larry Jones, who thought she had a difficult trip. “She has another year ahead of her.”
In the same year that illness forced him from a planned start in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1), where he was the morning-line favorite, Uncle Mo got his first try at 1 ¼ miles but struggled home to a tenth-place finish.
“He looked like he was kind of struggling with the surface,” trainer Todd Pletcher said.
After the Classic, Mott, the all-time leading trainer by wins at Churchill, savored his latest triumph.
“Hey, it’s always nice to win a Breeders’ Cup Classic, I’ve got to tell you,” Mott said.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: afleetalex, little rock, AR on November 30, 2011 at 09:48 AM
I believe HOY comes down to Havre De Grace and Cape Blanco. The two most consistent performers to step foot on American race tracks this year. Grace was 5/7 with 3 G1 wins and CB was 3/3 with 3 g1 wins. I don’t believe any other horses have anything close to resume’s like that at the very top of the game. Game on Dude gets consideration due to being a game horse but he couldn’t only close to deal in 2 races worth mentioning and his losses were without excuse. Acclamation in my opinion wont garner any votes for HOY or even come close in the Turf Eclipse award. He played in the minor leagues all year longs other than the Pacific Classic, defeating horses named Falcon Rock and Haimish Fly numerous times. Losing and placing 5th in a race and then finishing last is not the resume of a HOY or even eclipse award candidate.
The 3 strongest resumes are held by HDG, Cape Blanco and Royal Delta.
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Posted by: Phil, Oklahoma City, OK on November 08, 2011 at 10:53 AM
When I saw Drosselmeyer come up big on my handicapping program, I knew in my heart that he was going to win it.
I also suspected that Uncle Mo would not be able to go 1-1/4mi; after his lackluster performance in the Wood, I doubted that he could.
Between Drosselmeyer in the Classic & Hansen in the Juvenile, I made a nice chunk of change Saturday. :)
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Posted by: Tami, tempe, AZ on November 08, 2011 at 12:43 AM
I knew Drosselmeyer would win and Mike would beat Chantal at the wire. She's nothing but an overrated, worthless hussy. And she cheated on Mike after all. Stupid slut.
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Posted by: Leonard, Lawndale, CA on November 07, 2011 at 01:57 PM
With a Classic filled with sprinters and middle distance runner's it was only fitting that Drosselmeyer won the race, he had been training big for the last two weeks and it showed on the biggest stage on the biggest day. Congrat's to the connections and Mike Smith. The Horse Of The Year should be either Acclamation or Game On Dude............ JMO
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Posted by: Al, San Jose, CA on November 06, 2011 at 11:20 PM
For the record, I said from day 1 after Repole and Pletcher announced that Uncle Mo would go in the Classic instead of the Dirt Mile that I doubted you could drive Uncle Mo a 1-1/4. Much less him run 1-1/4 on a racetrack. Mo's pedigree is just purely speed and no stamina. I very much agree that he should've been sent to the Dirt Mile. But given that Caleb's Posse put up one of the most impressive performances of the entire meeting to win the Dirt Mile, I'm not entirely convinced that Uncle Mo would've won the Dirt Mile either? JMO.
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