The 2011 Breeders’ Cup

Churchill Downs played host to the Breeders’ Cup for the second consecutive year and for a record eighth time. The Breeders’ Cup added a new race for 2011, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint for 2-year-olds at three- quarters-of a mile. The Juvenile Sprint was the first race on Friday and it was won by the Bob Baffert-trained Secret Circle. The 3-year-old Royal Delta won the Ladies’ Classic, giving trainer Bill Mott his fourth victory in that race. Goldikova tried to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile for the fourth consecutive year, but she could get no closer than third place as Court Vision, at nearly 65-1, defeated Turallure by a nose. The title of Horse of the Year would be decided in the Classic. The 4-year-old filly Havre de Grace, last year’s Juvenile Champion Uncle Mo, and Santa Anita Handicap winner Game on Dude were the main contenders. From the starting gate and through the stretch, Game on Dude, ridden by Chantal Sutherland, was on his way to winning the Classic when, from the far outside, the 4-year-old Drosselmeyer came grinding down the track to win by 1 ½ lengths. It was sweet retribution for Drosselmeyer’s jockey, Mike Smith, who lost last year’s Classic on Zenyatta. Smith also tied Jerry Bailey for all-time Breeders’ Cup victories with 15.