Breeders' Cup 2011: Drosselmeyer Will Ride Big-Race Experience to Classic Win

In a Breeders' Cup Classic field that would seem to be more wide open than it has been in quite some time, there is no telling who might come out on top. Uncle Mo and filly Havre de Grace are the favorites at the moment, but I think the smart money is on Drosselmeyer.

When a field is jumbled and uncertain, I see nothing wrong with taking a risk, but that risk should certainly be calculated. Drosselmeyer's odds have been fluctuating, but he is currently at 15-1.

Drosselmeyer is no stranger to winning a high-stakes race without an overwhelming favorite. He took the 2010 Belmont Stakes as a 12-1 shot, beating out horses like First Dude, Ice Box and Fly Down. Neither the Kentucky Derby nor Preakness winners ran in that race.

Seeing as Drosselmeyer has come out of nowhere once before, there is reason to believe he can do it again. He will once again be jockeyed by Mike Smith who was along for the ride in his Belmont win, so there will certainly be a comfort level there.

Also, every horse in this race has some sort of flaw. Uncle Mo may not have the endurance to run on a 1 and 1/4-mile track and Havre de Grace has yet to prove that she can compete with the boys at the highest level.

Drosselmeyer should be very comfortable at this distance and he has about as big of a win as a horse can get under his belt. Because of his experience and penchant for taking charge against a questionable field, I think Drosselmeyer is the horse to beat on Saturday.