2011 Breeders' Cup Results: Drosselmeyer Upsets the Field in Classic

Jockey Mike Smith and Drosselmeyer stormed back to win the Classic at Churchill Downs at the 2011 Breeders’ Cup.

They will take home $5 million for their efforts.

Game On Dude finished in second place and Rule On Ice finished in third.

The victory for Smith was the 15^th Breeders’ Cup victory in his Hall of Fame career.

If the ending wasn’t great in itself, there was also another intriguing storyline.

In a weird twist, Smith rallied back to defeat his ex-girlfriend, Chantal Sutherland, and Game On Dude. It seemed like Game On Dude had the race dead-to-rights but Drosselmeyer put the pressure on late and ultimately took home the crown.

Even though this ending was special, and all Breeders’ Cup Classics are, how incredible would it have been if Sutherland took home the earnings? She would have been the first woman jockey to win the Classic.

It would have been one that people would've always remembered because of her situation. She wouldn’t have just won the first Classic by a woman; she would have defeated her ex-boyfriend head-to-head.

Nevertheless, the event was one that will always be remembered.

Horse racing is special. If you just enjoy watching the Classic, which most casual fans do, then you wait around all day to watch something finish in under a couple of minutes.

It almost seems like something that shouldn’t be watched. However, the buildup is incredible, the atmosphere surrounding Churchill Downs is great and the outcomes never fail to surprise.

The Classic was yet another memorable spectacle for horse racing.