2011 Breeders' Cup Results: Drosselmeyer Win Displays Sport's Unpredictability

By now we should know there is no sure thing in horse racing.

Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom was a 30:1 dark horse.

Then Shackleford trumped Animal Kingdom in the Preakness Stakes after facing 12:1 odds.

But surely the third leg of the Triple Crown would be more predictable, right?

Not exactly. Ruler on Ice, facing 20:1 odds, was the winner in the Belmont Stakes.

So it was only fitting on Saturday in the Breeders' Cup Classic when favorites Uncle Mo and Havre de Grace dropped back from the pack and Drosselmeyer, against 14:1 odds, scorched down the final stretch to shock everybody.

I've got news for you, folks, if you didn't already know: Nothing in horse racing makes sense, and the sooner you realize that, the better.

Drosselmeyer had virtually disappeared since winning the Belmont Stakes last year, with one win in his last six starts. It would have been funny that the colt was the son of Distorted Humor if so much money wasn't on the line for so many people.

Game On Dude, one of the favorites, was supposed to win this race. That would have at least been more predictable.

But it was jockey Mike Smith saying, "Game on, dude," when he glided down the final stretch with Drosselmeyer and completely surprised Bob Baffert's horse.

Chantal Sutherland, who is Smith's ex-fiance, believe it or not, was as shocked as anyone.

Said Sutherland, via the New York Times, "You've got to be kidding me—Mike Smith, aaaaaah. I never saw them coming.”

Neither did anyone else.