Note to self:

It's always the horse that no one is talking about. Although, I must give credit (props, man!) to Ken Rudulph who shared, prior to the race, that he was afraid his derby pick (Drosselmeyer) might be a bit late to the party, but still a "winner."

Drosselmeyer is out of Golden Ballet, a superior and beautifully put together race horse. Getting a quality runner out of a quality mare is never a sure thing. Unlike sires, who can "cover" as many as 100 mares per season, the girl horses only get one shot per year. And, there's no guarantee that the mare will end up with a healthy foal by her side. The practice of putting mares "under the lights" will make the broodmare come into the breeding "mood" sooner than nature alone can.

Nice to see Mike Smith so happy. If you ever need proof that "the gods of racing" are the arbiters of luck, fortune, or even "karma," just look at the recent races run by Garrett Gomez and Mike Smith. The Gods are apparently displeased with Gomez.