Under the new bright lights of Churchill Downs, excitement rose as the horses neared the finish line.
There were many great storylines surrounding the Breeders’ Cup Classic in Kentucky.
Jockey Chantal Sutherland was looking to become the first woman jockey to win the Classic.
Her horse, Game On Dude, set the pace the entire race. The strong horse jumped out to a strong lead in the beginning of the race. It seemed that the Dude could win the race wire to wire.
As the race neared the end, Game On Dude lost some speed and another horse closed in on the front of the pack.
Jockey Mike Smith raced past Sutherland to win the Classic on his horse Drosselmeyer.
Smith winning the Breeders’ Cup is a great story. Passing his ex-fiancé to win is even a better story.
But the greatest story about Smith’s win is the fact that he redeemed himself after last year’s Classic.
Last year Smith mounted the superhorse Zenyatta, who was the favorite to win the race. But Smith choked and Zenyatta lost the race.
From now on Smith will be known as the jockey that pulled a great upset in the Classic instead of the jockey that failed.
Reach the reporter at ehubbard@asu.edu
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