The Breeders Cup, often called the World Series of horse racing, takes place this weekend at Louisville’s Churchill Downs. The event features the sport’s largest collection of international thoroughbreds competing in 15 races Friday and Saturday worth a combined $25.5 million.
This year, a mare is vying for a place in the record books. And so is a woman.
A lot of the buzz heading into the 2011 Breeders Cup has been about the female horses. Havre De Grace is hoping to follow in the hoofsteps of 2009 winner Zenyatta by becoming the second female horse to triumph in the Breeders Cup Classic. A favorite at 4/1, she would be only the second filly to have won the richest horse race on American soil.
However, Havre De Grace will not be the only female entering the stalls for $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic. There is also the chance that a female jockey could generate the biggest story of the weekend.
Canadian Chantal Sutherland, 35, has secured the ride on Game On Dude, a California-based gelding co-owned by baseball’s Joe Torre and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. Sutherland has partnered with Game On Dude four times in the past with generally impressive results.
The latest of these races was just a month ago when the duo made history winning the Santa Anita Handicap, which is the most famous race in California (and next year will be the site of the Breeders Cup).
Sutherland dressed in pink with Hello Kitty gear for her Thursday workout at the track, but said she anticipates having her toughness tested in the 1¼-mile Classic.
“I’ve got the type of horse who likes a challenge; he’s a pit bull,” Sutherland said. “And I’ve been running five miles a day, sprinting those last two kilometers as fast as I can to imagine what it’ll be like going down the stretch. I can’t imagine fatigue. I see this as a fight, a battle. I’ve dreamed of this. To have it come to fruition, you don’t realize what that means to me.”
The Breeders Cup odds indicate Sutherland and Game On Dude can win the Classic. If Game On Dude is allowed to press on at his own pace in front, the pair could be tough to catch.
So here’s to the ladies. Good luck!
UPDATE: Sat. 10:12 pm
Sutherland appeared on her way to becoming the first female jockey to win the Breeders Cup but instead she was aced out by her ex-fiance Mike Smith riding 14-1 longshot Drosselmeyer.
Smith and Sutherland, together on and off for six years, broke up in 2010, but remain civil, even taking part in a "Battle of the Exes" match race at Del Mar in August to promote the sport.
Smith won the $5 million Classic by 1½ lengths, capping a weekend of upsets in the season-ending championships.
A year ago, Smith walked off the track in tears after losing the same race by a head on superstar Zenyatta.
dare to dream
Also online at prettytough.com and womentalksports.com