NEW YORK — Drosselmeyer finally got a shot in a Triple Crown race and it paid off with an upset in the $1 million Belmont Stakes.
Left out of the Kentucky Derby because he hadn't earned enough money to qualify, Drosselmeyer staged a stirring stretch run and beat Fly Down by three-quarters of a length Saturday in the final leg of the Triple Crown.
With neither Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver nor Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky in the field, the 1 1/2-mile Belmont looked to be a matchup of classic runner-ups — Ice Box from the Derby vs. First Dude from the Preakness.
First Dude took the lead from the start, but couldn't hold off Drosselmeyer in the stretch and finished third. Ice Box, the 9-5 favorite trained by Nick Zito, was never in contention and finished ninth in the 12-horse field. Fly Down, also trained by Zito, was the second choice at 5-1.
The victory not only reaffirmed Drosselmeyer's talent after failing to win in his past three starts, it also produced a few firsts for a pair of Hall of Famers.
