Keeping Breeders' Cup Classic winner in training

Horseracing Betting Lines

11/10/2011 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - These days top flight thoroughbreds rarely keep racing beyond the age of four. So it's news when there is even a suggestion that a leading racehorse might remain in training.

Breeders' Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer was to be retired from racing after last week's race, now his owner WinStar Farm is reconsidering that decision.

"All options are open for Drosselmeyer, and we expect to make a decision by some time next week," said Elliott Walden, WinStar President & CEO on Wednesday. "Our phone has been ringing off the hook since Saturday's big win, including Mike Smith lobbying to keep the horse in training. So we're weighing all of our options and will do what we feel is best for Drosselmeyer and WinStar."

Jockey Mike Smith has every hope to ride Drosselmeyer again. The Hall of Fame rider was aboard the colt last year in winning the Belmont Stakes.

"I had ridden him once to win the Belmont on him," Smith shortly after winning this year's Classic, "and to get a chance to ride him back in the Classic, I don't know, I got this good feeling as soon as I found out."

The 4-year-old colt was to be retired to stand the 2012 breeding season in New York. However, a clause in the contract allows some maneuvering room if Drosselmeyer were to win the $5 million Classic.

"Horses in this day and age don't run a lot of starts. He's had 15," Walden noted on Saturday. "A lot of them don't have stamina, and he will get you the Classic type horse. So that's an exciting thing for his breeding credential, and we'll just sit down and huddle and see how that is."

Five weeks before taking the Classic Drosselmeyer finished a solid second to Flat Out in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park. That came seven weeks after a seventh on the turf in the Sword Dancer at Saratoga. In June the colt was second in the Brooklyn Handicap behind Birdrun with his only other 2011 win coming in a minor stakes at Belmont in May.

"Back before we ran him at Saratoga, we ran him on the grass," Walden said following the Classic victory. "We had a plan to get to the Breeders' Cup. Bill (Mott) came up with the fact that there was a race when he was second on Belmont day, he came up with a plan to run him on the grass once because it was a mile and a half, and that would set him up for the Jockey Club and see what happened in the Jockey Club and where that would take us.

"He ran well in the Jockey Club, and 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 is peaking at the right time."

Drosselmeyer was 14-1 for the 1 1/4-mile Classic which was understandable considering his 2011 efforts.

"We backed out of the horse after the Belmont last year," the trainer noted. "We gave him a lot of time. He had a couple of easy months off, didn't do anything.

"We brought him back the beginning of the year. He was fat and really kind of didn't get in the rhythm the first two or three races. As the year progressed, he seemed to get a little better and a little better.

"Really midway through Saratoga, after we ran him in the Sword Dancer, it was kind of like somebody had flipped a switch, and he just turned around. He was moving great. He was into his training. There again, he ran a big one in the Jockey Gold Cup to be second.

"And he was coming on. We didn't beat the winner, but it looked like -- really, Elliott kind of made the decision, I think, to lean towards the Classic with him after that race. Really, it was a great decision, and we've been here for a month, and the horses have had good work on the racetrack. I think it really paid off."

Drosselmeyer more than tripled his career earnings to $3,728,170 with his Classic victory. One more year in training with continued success on the track can give him and his connections much more money and increase his stud value even more.

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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