Drosselmeyer pulls upset in Belmont
Stakes
Daily Racing News
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
Posted on June 07, 2010
NEW YORK (AP) -An underachiever
finally came through in the $1 million Belmont Stakes and gave Hall
of Famers Bill Mott and Mike Smith milestones they've been seeking for
decades.
Drosselmeyer, left out
of the Kentucky Derby because he failed to earn enough money, outlasted
a couple of Dudes and held off Fly Down by three-quarters of a length
to win the final leg of the Triple Crown.
The win by the gleaming
3-year-old chestnut colt ended Smith's 0 for 12 riding record in the
Belmont, and gave Mott his first victory in a Triple Crown race.
``To finally win this
one,'' said Smith, ``unbelievable.''
With neither Derby winner
Super Saver nor Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky in the field, the 1
1/2-mile Belmont looked to be a matchup of classic runner-ups - Ice
Box from the Derby vs. First Dude from the Preakness.
First Dude took the lead,
but couldn't hold off Drosselmeyer in the stretch and finished third
after giving way to Fly Down in the final strides.
Ice Box, the 9-5 favorite
trained by Nick Zito, was never in contention and finished ninth in
the 12-horse field. Zito's Fly Down ended up as the 5-1 second choice.
The victory reaffirmed
Drosselmeyer's talent. Purchased by WinStar Farm for $600,000, the colt
started his career on turf, won two races on dirt, then went 0 for 3
in the Risen Star, Louisiana Derby and the Dwyer, where he was beaten
by six lengths by Fly Down on May 8.
``It all came together,''
said Mott, best known as the trainer of the great Cigar in 1995-96.
``I think it was just a matter of time with some of the good horses
I get to train that it was going to happen.''
One reason it happened
may have been a jockey switch to Smith from Kent Desormeaux, who was
aboard Drosselmeyer for seven of his eight starts.
``I felt like the horse
needed a little change in routine,'' said WinStar racing manager Elliott
Walden. ``We went to Mike because we felt he would get him in a rhythm
and keep him running. This horse really kicked hard turning for home
and finished strong.''
WinStar seems to be making
all the right calls these days, and closed out the Triple Crown with
wins in two races - they also own Derby winner Super Saver.
On a hot, sunny Saturday
in front of 45,243 at Belmont Park, Drosselmeyer was sent off at odds
of 13-1. It was Smith who made a key decision to keep his long-striding
colt in the clear. He eased the horse to the outside for the run down
the backstretch, always keeping First Dude within range.
Drosselmeyer made a five
wide move on the final turn and continued widest of all, eventually
reeling in Game on Dude, then First Dude before holding off a late charge
from Fly Down.
The winning time was
2:31.57, the slowest since Thunder Gulch won in 2:32 in 1995.
Game on Dude was fourth,
followed by Uptowncharlybrown, Stay Put, Interactif, Stately Victor,
Ice Box, Make Music for Me, Dave In Dixie and Spangled Star.
Drosselmeyer returned
$28, $11.60 and $7.70. Fly Down, with John Velazquez aboard, paid $6.80
and $5.10. First Dude returned $4.90 to show.
After the race, Uptowncharlybrown
was disqualified and unplaced after a weight violation. The horse lost
his lead weight pad during the race and failed to carry the required
126 pounds.
Zito had mixed emotions
about his favorites.
``I'm obviously disappointed
in Ice Box,'' Zito said. ``He was ready to go the last couple of days,
but I guess he just left his race somewhere. He certainly didn't run,
that's for sure.
As for Fly Down, who
came into the Belmont off an impressive six-length win in the Dwyer
last month over the same track, the Hall of Fame trainer said ``I'm
happy, obviously. Fly Down ran great.''
Drosselmeyer, named for
a character in Tchaikovsky's ``The Nutcracker,'' earned $600,000 for
the win and more than quadrupled his career total to $801,170.
The victory by Drosselmeyer
closes another year without a Triple Crown win. It's 32 years and counting
since Affirmed became the 11th Triple Crown champion by sweeping the
Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
At first, it appeared
the brilliant 3-year-old colt Eskendereya had a chance to end the longest
drought between Triple Crown winners. But the Fountain of Youth and
Wood Memorial winner developed swelling in his left front leg and was
pulled out of the Derby a week before the race.
It was a tough blow for
trainer Todd Pletcher, who came into the Derby with an 0 for 24 record.
But on Derby day, Pletcher's Super Saver came through to win thanks
to a patented rail-hugging ride from Calvin Borel.
In the Preakness two
weeks later, after Borel had guaranteed a Triple Crown, Super Saver
gave way in the stretch and finished eighth. That ended any chance of
a Triple try in the Belmont, and left the final leg of the Triple Crown
without either classic winner for the second time in four years and
just the third time since 1970.
Full Transcript
of 2010 Post Belmont Stakes Press Conference
Story by: NYRA Press
Office
THE MODERATOR: Okay. We're live in the interview room with the happy
trainer of Drosselmeyer, William Mott. We'll be joined momentarily by
racing manager for WinStar Farm, Elliott Walden, and also by Mike Smith
we understand is taking a well-deserved shower. He'll be in very shortly.
Bill, congratulations
on the Triple Crown victory number one for you personally. Though you
did come close in 1999 with Vision and Verse. Was Dwyer Farm held up
nicely today. One two finishers, there came in one two reverse order.
Was it the distance difference that made the difference.
WILLIAM MOTT: I think
that could have helped us, however, the other day I think we got off
a little bad from the gate, maybe lost a little bit of our position
early. Our horse hadn't been out in seven weeks, which neither had the
winner of the Dwyer. I thought our horse would probably improve to just
having had the race. I think he had been dormant for seven weeks, and
I think he does a little better with a little more racing. The race,
obviously, moved him forward. You saw the result today. He got a nice
clean trip today. Didn't have to check. You know, Mike gave it a nice,
smooth ride. He trained well. The horse trained well since the Dwyer.
He had a very good work. His last work was actually very impressive.
He worked in racehorse time, galloped out 12 and 2, you know, the seven-eighths
and 26 and 3. Generally I found when horses work that well and gallop
out that well, they'll run pretty good. He didn't disappointment us
today.
THE MODERATOR: In these
Triple Crown races, everything gets scrutinized, much more so than on
a normal basis. There were stories about Drosselmeyer's feet, the need
for bar shoes periodically. Can you go over that, were the feet any
problem whatsoever leading up to the race?
WILLIAM MOTT: Today
I wouldn't say so. About eight days ago, it looked like they may become
a little bit of a problem. He had gotten the frogs in his feet, had
gotten a little sore. The sand is a little abrasive here at Belmont
, and it was kind of abrading on the frog, and we just put a simple
aluminum bar shoe on him to give him a little protection during training
during the week. And as soon as we put those on, we got quiet. We soaked
him in hot water, Epsom salts a couple times a day, and he was not a
problem all week.
We took the bar shoes
off today, this morning after he trained, and the feet looked great.
THE MODERATOR: As you
can all see, we're now joined, left to right, by Doug Cauthen of WinStar
Farm. Lisa Troutt, Elliott Walden.
I want to ask Doug,
maybe you, especially Lisa. We horseplayers never consider it a real
good sign when the owners don't show up on race day.
Can you explain where
your husband and Mr. Casner are today?
LISA TROUTT: I'm not
sure where Bill and Susan are. Do you know where they are.
ELLIOTT WALDEN: They're
in Texas . It's been a great five weeks. They traveled a lot, came to
the Derby , spent a two weeks, a week at the Preakness. They were exhausted.
In fact, it was kind
of interesting. Bill made the decision right after the Preakness he
wasn't coming to the Belmont . It didn't really have anything to do
with maybe the foot issue that everybody thought was maybe an issue.
LISA TROUTT: But Kenny
is at a basketball tournament in Indiana with our two teenage boys.
He really, really wanted to come. We left from Dallas this morning.
We were going to pick him up. He said no, we might get there too late.
It will be an hour and a half later, and so he's there with our boys,
and he loves basketball. Our boys love basketball. They play AAU. That's
what they're Doug.
So we came up and I'm
with my mom and my sister and my good friend and Savannah , my daughter,
and my two nieces. We're going to New York City after this to celebrate.
THE MODERATOR: Elliott,
Doug, I want to ask you a question about Drosselmeyer's history 'till
now, but Elliott, you made the decision, your team did, to change jockeys
and you actually went away from a jockey who's had very good success
at the Belmont, Kent Desormeaux to Mike Smith. Obviously, that move
paid off. Tell us the thinking behind it.
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Well,
I guess you could say it did pay off because Mike gave him a great ride.
It was no reflection on Kent . Kent 's a Hall of Fame rider, won this
race many times. In fact, you know, when I talked to him after the Dwyer,
we kind of texted back and forth. He said this horse would win the Belmont
with him or without him. And he was right. Kent 's a great rider. We
had breakfast this morning. We're going to use him plenty in the future.
Mike did give him a great ride. Kent probably would have, too. It was
one of those things where the horse had struggled getting over the hump
and just felt like, you know, a little shuffling might do the trick.
THE MODERATOR: Doug,
I know Kent Desormeaux got off Drosselmeyer following the Louisiana
Derby. He was best, because you ran third. You didn't have enough earnings.
Then in two Dywer horse has trouble, still runs well has trouble. Was
it frustrating from the owner's standpoint, did you think that we're
never going to see what this horse is capable of.
DOUG CAUTHEN: We always
believed in him so much. We did think this was the day that he would
either put up or we'd have to quick making an excuse and he really put
it up, you know, he came. He just ran a super race, and he was poised
to run a great race. And it's pretty satisfying to see it happen and,
you know, we do miss Bill and Kenny being here, but the owners are here.
THE MODERATOR: All
right. I want to open it up to questions from the media. Were any of
you concerned? Although Drosselmeyer ran very well, the fractions were
slow. You did have horses to pass when you saw 49 and 114, did you think
your horse might be too far back, given dawdling pace?
WILLIAM MOTT: I thought
he was in good position. Actually, I recognized the fractions when they
hung them up. I knew they were going slow. He was within range.
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Fly
Down was right next to him on the inside. There was a big gap, so those
six horses that were in that first frame, that first flight. You could
feel good about any one of the six. It was that second tier that was
probably in trouble with the pace being so slow.
THE MODERATOR: Questions
from the media, I'll repeat it for the benefit of those listening up
in the Press Box and yes, Bob.
Q. Bill, can you
talk about the feeling it is to add the Triple Crown win to the resume
of all you've done. How do you compare this to the other stuff you've
done.
WILLIAM MOTT: It's
very good. This is, by the way, the second Belmont winner I've saddled.
People probably don't know it. I saddled Victory Gallop for Elliott
when he had a broken leg. I don't know how many years ago that was.
I actually put the saddle on. I just tried to repeat that effort again
today and put it on the same way and it worked. It's a great feeling
and, you know, it's nice to be able to train good horses and for good
people and that give you the opportunity to do this. And it all came
together and I think it was just a matter of time with, you know, some
of the good horses that I do get the opportunity to train that it was
going to happen.
Q. Elliott, five
weeks ago you were explaining how you gave the horse to Tom Fletcher
who ultimately won the Derby . Talk about the decision-making process
and how Bill got this horse, and you seem to be pulling the right switches
with the jockeys and trainers, everything else. Talk a little about
the process of all that.
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Well,
this horse, you know, was a horse that came to Saratoga last summer.
Interestingly, he and Super Saver were all in the same van to Saratoga
, and they were the first group we sent out from the farm. Some people
think if you get started on them too soon, they might not be around
and, you know, by sending them to Todd and Billie, the horse always
comes first and Bill's a great horseman.
The thing that I think
about sitting up here with Bill today and sitting up here with Todd
five weeks ago is, both of them have a humble spirit for the success
that each one of them has had. You wouldn't know it by sitting up here,
and just, you know, the first thing that Bill did was thank us for giving
him the horse and it just shows, you know, that greatness can come with
humbleness as well. And Bill reflects that in his character and his
day-to-day operation.
THE MODERATOR: I want
to remind people upstairs listening in the Press Box that if you have
a question, you can give it to David Curcio in the center there and
we'll relay it down here. Question right here.
Q. Elliott, I know
you had said last week, or recently, that the Belmont has ups and downs
sometimes a big buildup, sometimes not. When you think about it, what's
the feeling? What's the emotion like today?
THE MODERATOR: The
Belmont sometimes has ups and downs then.
ELLIOTT WALDEN: I would
say that just from my perspective being involved with one that did have
a Triple Crown on the line and win here was a little more relaxed today.
But I was extremely excited to look down that grandstand and see wall-to-wall
people. I was concerned, probably like everybody else three weeks ago
when Super Saver got beat, it might have taken a little bit of the luster
off the Belmont . I thought it was a good crowd today, an energetic
crowd. It was a lot of fun without having quite as much pressure as
it is when a Triple Crown is on the line.
THE MODERATOR: Elliott,
the sound was not working up in the Press Box when we first started.
So, if you wouldn't mind repeating why the jockey switch to Mike Smith.
ELLIOTT WALDEN: You
know, just felt like that this horse needed a little bit of a change
in his routine.
Kent has had a lot
of confidence in this horse all year. Kent's ridden a lot of good horses
for us and we had a lot of faith in Kent, but we just felt like in this
certain situation that something needed to change a little bit, and
so, you know, we went to Mike because Mike was riding Proviso for Bill
and Just a Game. We knew he was going to be in town. He's a great rider
and felt like he would get him in that rhythm, that this horse is desiring
and, you know, just 24, 48, 12 and keep grinding at him, and you know,
this horse really kicked hard turning for home and finished strong.
Q. Bill, did the
horse frustrate you at all earlier in the year?
WILLIAM MOTT: No, not
really. I mean, I was, you know, a little disappointed in some of our
racing, but the horse did great. I mean, the horse answered all the
questions. You know, we got him first out. He won an allowance race
at Gulf Stream, and he handled all the traffic problems, did everything
one off the layoff and we went to Louisiana twice and just didn't have
the racing luck maybe that we needed to win. And we didn't earn the
money to get into the Derby , which was a little bit of a disappointment,
because I think the horse was a quality horse that would have the style
and the ability to run the Derby .
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Thank
you, Bill. You're not getting enough earnings.
WILLIAM MOTT: Anyway,
some things are just meant to be, and I think this is one of them. It
worked out for WinStar and it worked out for us today and there will
just have to be another day or time maybe I'll have a chance to get
a Derby .
The horse didn't frustrate
me at all. There is a thing called racing luck, and you know, we had
our luck today. It came around and everything fell into place.
Q. Elliott, I know
you've been high on this group of three-year-olds for WinStar since
early last year. How special is it to now see two of them win Triple
Crown races?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Well,
it's just, you know, we just feel blessed all year with the opportunities
that we've been given. We've been given great opportunities at WinStar
with the resources with the Troutts and the Casners put into the business,
and so, you know, it's just nice to see your hard work come together
and it's been such a team feeling all spring, you know, you go into
a barn, a yearling barn, you go into the stallion barn, you know, our
stallion manager, Larry McGuinnes is walking on clouds right now with
his distorted humor, being the daddy of this one. We have a great team
in place, starts at the top with the Troutts and the Casners, and it's
just a real blessing.
THE MODERATOR: We're
now joined by Mike Smith, who completed a personal Triple Crown of sorts.
'93 he won the Preakness with Prairie Bio. 2005 Kentucky Derby with
Giacomo, today the Belmont Stakes with Drosselmeyer. Congratulations.
Can you take us through
the trip and also tell us what it's like winning a Triple Crown race
at a venue that you spent so much of your career at?
MIKE SMITH: To start
out, I'll take to you the race.
He broke good today,
which I was concerned about. Last time out he stumbled over there. It
cost him quite a bit. He got away. Game on Duke kind of came over on
him a little bit. I followed him over, luckily for us. Ice Box was right
to my inside. He's not as quick. I was able to follow him right over
and once he cleared me, I was able to get him back out and get into
that rhythm we've been talking about. Billie said, give him a nice comfortable
rhythm. That's what he did. He stayed in that cool rhythm all the way.
The three-eighths bar started. Pick him up soon as I asked him, he kicked
in. I was worried about it. Not only did he kick, he kept on going,
on going, on going. It was a great race today.
Q. I have a question
for Bill first. Can you comment on Mike's strengths as a rider and why
as a trainer you want to put him on this type of horse? I understand
he was here to ride, maybe what made you choose him.
WILLIAM MOTT: I think
Mike has been riding very well. I think riders have rhythms, and I think
Mike's been on a roll lately. He's a very capable rider and we've won
a lot of nice races in the past, and he's got great hands, and I felt
that he would find just what he was saying the rhythm that this horse
needed to be in and might give him the trip that he would benefit from,
and that all happened.
You know, it's nice
to kind of join up with an old friend that you had a lot of success
with in the past. I mean, we both kind of came to New York about the
same time and cut our teeth here, and it's nice to join up in the Belmont
and get it done together. It's special for a lot of reasons, but that's
a big reason that it will be special.
THE MODERATOR: Mike
and Bill, you guys are both already in the Hall of Fame. You certainly
had a Hall of Fame today with Drosselmeyer, and also with Proviso.
Mike, you've had so
many thrills with Zenyatta most recently.
Bill, who can forget
Cigar? Where does this day rank when you look back through all you guys
accomplished? Is today going to have a very special place in your memories?
MIKE SMITH: For me,
definitely. It's been 14 years in New York . I'm blessed to win just
about everything there is here except that race, and I just, I don't
know. When I got the phone call and Bill asked if I'd be interested
in riding him, the first thing I thought, I'm going to win the Belmont
. I felt that from that phone call on to this morning.
I got up and ran 4
miles this morning. I felt so good. I took the edge off a little bit.
It means everything in my career. I feel complete.
WILLIAM MOTT: It's
always special and, you know, I think, you know, probably as time goes
on and you have an opportunity to reflect on it, and I think then it
will really settle in, but I'm sure there's going to be very fine memories
about this day, no doubt.
Q. For Elliott,
if you would, with Super Saver, now Drosselmeyer, you have two strong
candidates for top three-year-olds. How do you handle that from a management
point of view the rest of the year?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Well,
I think, you know, you are blessed to have both horses and, you know,
we'll probably maybe look to separate him in the next start, but probably
come together in the Traverse and see what happens, but, you know, it
all depends on how they both come back.
And Super Saver is
doing great. This horse is really, today was just a redeeming race for
him. You know, there's been a lot of people that have had a lot of faith
in this horse all spring. We get letters all the time and emails about
this horse, and so it's been gratifying today to just, you know, have
the opportunity with this horse to finally get to run the kind of race
he's capable of.
The rest of the year
will play out the way it's supposed to. We won't try to manipulate anyway.
We'll see what happens and put it in.
Q. Lisa Elliott
and Doug, the reaction of Kenny and Bill, when you made those phone
calls to them, what did they say and what was the feeling?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: I haven't
talked -- I talked to Kenny briefly. I talked to Kenny briefly when
we came out of there.
LISA TROUTT: I have
not had a chance to talk to him. I know this morning before we left,
he said, I think he's got a great shot. And he said that several times
before we left. And then I was reading all the little articles on the
plane on the way up and the sport's pages and I was like, oh, gosh,
he wasn't mentioned once.
I thought, well, you
know, we'll just get there and hope and pray for the best. But yeah,
I can imagine he was yelling just like these two guys do and beating
his form and screaming.
Q. Did anyone talk
to Bill and Susan?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: I haven't
had a chance yet. I tried to call them on the way from upstairs to here,
and hadn't got a hold of them yet, but they're extremely excited. They
are, you know, both sets of owners are extremely involved in this business.
They're passionate about it and that's what's exciting for Doug and
I to be able to share it with Lisa and Kenny and Bill and Susan. It
means a great deal.
After the Derby we
talked about how we need to make sure that we keep all this in perspective,
what's happened this spring and Doug and I prayed actually on Monday
that we would be able to handle this in a way that would bring glory
and honor to God. And so it's just been a magical spring and we feel
very blessed.
THE MODERATOR: I just
want to let everybody know the official attendance today. 45,243.
Q. This is for Doug.
Your brother, of course, has the ultimate Triple Crown achievement,
but you've got two-thirds now. Does that kind of even the bragging rights?
DOUG CAUTHEN: Yeah,
I'm gonna brag. Tonight anyway. Obviously, everybody's goal, any of
these classics are an amazing accomplishment. We're so thrilled to be
there. Yeah, right now I'm going to tell him I'm one up on him. One
day, you know, we'll keep coming back and keep trying to match him.
Q. Follow up on
that for Doug. What emotions does this place evoke for you in your family?
DOUG CAUTHEN: I was
telling Elliott this morning, we both, I think you were 15, too, weren't
you, or 16, we came and one of my first jobs on the track was up here.
I was driving horses for Laz Barrera and P.G. Johnson and working for
Dr. Pendergrast. I thought I had gone to heaven when I showed up on
the Belmont Park . It is a beautiful facility. If you love horses, this
is the place for horses to be, it's special. So it was kind of great
to look around and see it, and Steve and I spent a summer up here living
together. He was riding. I was working and, you know, we were just living
the dream and both my parents definitely were very involved in the business
on a smaller venue, but if you love horses, they've always loved it
and enjoyed coming here. I remember walking around after Steve won the
Triple Crown with mom and dad, my little brother, Kerry. It was a special
moment and today was pretty special, too.
Q. How did you decide
to go in the Dwyer instead of the Preakness or earlier than that not
running another race to try to get into the Derby ?
WILLIAM MOTT: Well,
initially after Louisiana Derby, Elliott and I talked about wheeling
back in the Arkansas Derby, Blue Grass, Lexington came into place. We
looked at the options. Should we try to get a little more money and
get in the Derby ? It was actually Elliott's idea. He came up with the
idea of the Dwyer. First he said, what about the Dwyer and waiting for
the Belmont ? I think over the course of, you know, we bypass the Arkansas
Derby and the Blue Grass, which would have been coming back in two weeks'
time, and finally we just said, look, let's just go with, you know,
the thing we talked about on the first day, and that was the Dwyer and
the Belmont. That's what we're stuck with.
I got a little nervous,
I guess, when we ran in the Dwyer and it looked like the horse needed
some racing. He had been doing so well during the month of April and
he could have run back in one of those other races, but, you know, as
it worked out today, it's fine, and I think, you know, turned out to
be a good plan.
THE MODERATOR: Was
that decision to back off on the Derby plans made easier by the fact
he had Super Saver and you had Endorsement?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: It
was. I'd like to say we would have done the right thing by the horse,
which we did by showing patience, but, you know, the Derby does crazy
things to you. It was fortunate that we had the other options with Super
Saver and Rule and American Lion and Endorsement at the time. It's just
been a great spring.
Q. Mike, how did
you familiarize yourself with this horse? How did you get to know him?
What did you know about him?
MIKE SMITH: You know,
I'm really not good with computers, but those things are amazing. I
got one of the kids, I swear to you back at the Hollywood Park , I said,
how do you run that machine? I want to see all these past races. I've
never looked at that thing before. I saw all of his races. The race
kept sticking out in my mind was the race at Churchill when he had a
nice, clear trip. That kept sticking in my head. I'm thinking, we drew
post seven, which I love that number, and talking to Billie, he said
he's a kind colt. You can do anything with him. I want him to get him
in that rhythm. It all came together.
Belmont, I love this
track. I love riding this track. It's like riding a bike. I rode my
first race on it.
Me and Billie come
full circle. I've been riding so many years and come to New York with
him and finally win this race together, it's great.
Q. Mike, can you
talk about when you first rode here being in the colony maybe any memories
you have, and how your days here helped shape your career as a rider
down the road, emotionally?
MIKE SMITH: Coming
to New York was just that it's the dream when you get to this level
and getting to ride with Angel Cordero, Jorge Velazquez, Jacinto Vasquez,
Jerry Bailey, the list goes on and on. I've done very well here. Like
I said before, this race has eluded me. I ran a second, but I get beat
in pretty good ways. I ran third with a filly. Like I said, I got the
call to come right away. I don't know what it is. It's like I won the
Derby . I swear Giacomo was going to win the Derby . I got up this morning,
I already won it. I was jumping around. Billie called me on the win.
He said, I want you to think clear. Remember if you're there at the
quarter pole, you're there at the wire in the Belmont . That's what
we did. It worked out.
Q. Elliott, I would
like to ask you, this year we've had three different Triple Crown race
winners. You guys own two of them. In your mind, who's the top three-year-old?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Well,
you know, I think with the three different horses. Super Saver, Looking
at Lucky, and Drosselmeyer today. I think you can group all three of
them together. It's hard to really differentiate between them until
we get into the Haskell and the Traverse and the Breeder's Cup Classic.
I think the rest of the year will decide who the best is. As we sit
here today, I've got to believe that we have two of the top three in
Drosselmeyer and Super Saver and watching Super Saver train all week,
being up here, he's doing great. I'm excited to see him get the opportunity
to get back and redeem himself. We'll see.
I can't really differentiate
between any of the three. Bob Baffert's horse, Looking at Lucky is a
very good horse as well. It's going to be an exciting second half of
the year.
THE MODERATOR: If the
three of you meet up in the Breeder's Cup Classic at the end of the
year, at least you'll know your two like Churchill Downs.
Q. You like the
seven post, is there any particular reason?
MIKE SMITH: That's
the Lord's number.
THE MODERATOR: Anymore
questions?
Q. Elliott, you
guys were up in Saratoga last week. You were training up there where
Bill has a base. Do you have any distorted humor we should keep an eye
out for?
ELLIOTT WALDEN: Ask
me in a month.
THE MODERATOR: Well,
team Drosselmeyer, Congratulations again.
Doug Cauthen, Hall
of Famer Mike Smith, Lisa Troutt, Haul of Famer, Bill Mott and racing
manager Elliott Walden, congratulations.
