Mike Smith explains why he has only 3 rides in Breeders’ Cup

Del Mar, Calif.

Mike Smith may be a Hall of Famer who is the winningest jockey in Breeders’ Cup history. But those bona fides alone do not guarantee him a full book of rides this week at Del Mar.

Circumstances beyond his control conspired to leave him with only three horses to ride in the 2021 championships. He will be on the morning-line second choice Corniche (5-2) in Friday’s $2 million Juvenile, Credibility (30-1) in Friday’s $1 million Juvenile Turf and Art Collector (8-1) in Saturday’s $6 million Classic.

“It’s just the way the cards fell,” Smith told Horse Racing Nation during a visit to the Del Mar stable area Tuesday morning. “At the beginning of the year I thought I would have about five favorites. Then out of the five I lost all five of them.”

Off the top of his head, Smith remembered he had Dirt Mile favorite Life Is Good (4-5), who got hurt last spring before being transferred east from Bob Baffert to trainer Todd Pletcher. He said he would have ridden for Baffert on Filly & Mare Sprint defender Gamine (3-5) if COVID regulations had not restricted his travel last year, leading to John Velázquez taking over. Smith also had Charlatan, a potential short price in the Classic before he was retired this summer four months after finishing second Feb. 20 in the Saudi Cup.

Rather than grouse about the rides he lost, Smith said he was thankful to get the assignments he has this week.

“Man, I’m very blessed to have Corniche come along, and then getting the opportunity to ride Art Collector,” he said. “I’m very fortunate that I picked up these two horses.”

Corniche is a 2-year-old Quality Road colt who cost Peter and Ann Fluor and K.C. Weiner $1.5 million this spring in the April sale at Ocala, Fla. His 3 1/4-length triumph Oct. 1 in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita provided him with two-turn experience, something the favorite Jack Christopher (9-5) does not have.

Smith said that may not be as big a factor as something more simple. Corniche, who led from gate to wire in his two wins, drew widest in post 12, so the entire race will unfold inside him – and maybe behind him. Jack Christopher, who stalked the pace early in his two victories, got stuck on the rail.

Win big on the BC this year. Get your Super Screener today.

“He’s so far away from me, I don’t know what all that’s going to do for me, depending on what they have in mind,” Smith said. “In his last race (the Grade 1 Champagne), where they eased him back in, he came with a really explosive run. That’s a good thing to be able to have.”

Yet Breeders’ Cup history favors Corniche. Of the last 23 times the Juvenile has gone two turns, 17 winners had previous experience under that condition.

“We say he’s going to finish at the end,” Smith said of Jack Christopher, “but he hasn’t been around two turns, so you just don’t know.”

That is not a mystery for Corniche.

“You certainly know that they’ll go two turns if they’ve had it, right?” Smith said. “That’s always a thing you don’t know until you’ve done it. Most horses are bred to go around two turns, but a lot of them won’t. There’s just something about that turn. When you’ve been able to do it already, it’s certainly a feather in your cap. I’d rather be the guy that’s already done it and won at it than the favorite that hadn’t done it.”

What’s more, Smith is happy Corniche not only won his debut race for Baffert at Del Mar, but he also has spent a lot of mornings running over that same main track.

“He trained here all last summer,” Smith said. “He knows this track really well, and that’s another plus. We kind of have home-field advantage. We drew the ‘12’ hole, but it is what it is. Horses have certainly won from out there before, so we’ll see what happens.”

Conversely, 4-year-old Art Collector will be racing at Del Mar for the first time Saturday when he leaves the inside gate to face nine rivals in the Classic. With Luis Sáez taking off him to stay on Belmont Stakes and Travers (G1) winner Essential Quality, Smith will get his first chance to ride him in a race.

“I liked him a lot at 3, as well,” Smith said. “When he won the Blue Grass (G2), he was really impressive. As a matter of fact, he was actually the horse that I thought would be the one to beat in the (Kentucky) Derby.”

That was before a foot injury kept him from starting 14 months ago at Churchill Downs. After out-of-the-money finishes in his next three races, owner Bruce Lunsford moved Art Collector from Kentucky trainer Tommy Drury to East Coast-based Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The Bernardini colt has won all three of his races since the transfer, including last month’s Woodward (G1) at Belmont Park.

“His last three races have been better and better and better,” Smith said. “I’m so blessed to have ridden for Billy for many, many years. When he starts getting them good and points for a race, he’s about the best there is. I’m really excited to be on him.”

Being based in California, Smith himself has a home-course advantage, if there is such a thing in this Breeders’ Cup. When the championships were first at Del Mar four years ago, only three Southern California-based horses got to the winner’s circle.

“These are the best of the best,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 50-1 in these races. You’re in the Breeders’ Cup, because you’re good. Any one of these horses at any time can jump up and just beat the rest of the field, even if there is somewhat of a long shot. You’ve got to go out there and run your race, lay it all out there on the line and run your race. I’ve got to ride mine, and hopefully it all goes well.”