With No. 6 in his sights, Smith recalls his five Breeders' Cup Distaff winners

ARCADIA, Calif. – The all-time leading Breeders’ Cup jockey possesses more than superior horsemanship. Mike Smith also has an uncanny memory.

This fall at Santa Anita, Smith will try to add to his record Breeders’ Cup totals – 26 wins and $35.9 million in earnings. It is no surprise Smith’s most heavily fancied mount is Midnight Bisou in the Distaff, a race he has won five times.

Smith, who would be the first jockey to win a Breeders’ Cup race six times, recently recalled his five Distaff victories and his upcoming chance at a sixth. Smith agreed to the interview without advance notice of the subject. No notes, no prep, all by memory.

Inside Information, Belmont Park, 1995

Inside Information won her career finale by 13 1/2 lengths on a muddy track for breeder Ogden Mills "Dinny" Phipps and trainer Shug McGaughey. She won 14 of 17 starts and earned $1,641,806.

Smith: “She was a tremendous mare anyway, but the mud would move her up another four or five lengths. It was crazy how she got over a wet track. If she’d have run against the boys, she would have given them a run for their money.

“I know it was Cigar that won the Classic that year, but . . . [Inside Information] wasn’t no little bitty filly. She was a big, strong filly. It was a race I’ll never forget – she just crushed. It’s still the largest winning [Breeders’ Cup] margin.”

The Beyer Figures back up Smith’s opinion: Inside Information got a 119 for the Distaff; Cigar, a 117 for the Classic.

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Ajina, Hollywood Park, 1997

A 3-year-old, Ajina won by two lengths. Owned by breeder Allen Paulson and trained by Bill Mott, Ajina retired the following year. She won 7 of 17 and earned $1,327,915.

Smith: “She was a really quirky filly, but when she ran her race, she could beat anybody. She was very temperamental. If something went wrong, if she got mad, she wouldn’t run her race.

“What a dream trip I got. She broke really well, got right in the pocket. The rail had been a little bit slow at Hollywood, and everyone was staying off it. But that day, they had it quick everywhere. Man, I just got through on the fence, and she was gone.”

Azeri, Arlington, 2002

Owned and bred by Paulson, California-based Azeri dominated by five lengths and was voted 2002 Horse of the Year. Laura De Seroux trained Azeri through 2003, and D. Wayne Lukas trained her for her final season in 2004. Azeri won 17 of 24 and earned $4,079,820.

Smith: “Everyone was saying, ‘Oh, she only beat California fillies, the same four- and five-horse fields. Wait until she runs against the East Coast fillies.’ If I ever wanted to show a horse off, it was her that day. I wanted to show all the critics. Not only did she beat them, she romped, she crushed them.”

Smith does not showboat, but that day he made an exception. He laughs now, saying: “I went to twirling my stick, and I dropped it! She just kept running, she didn’t need me to do anything.”

Zenyatta, Santa Anita, 2008

Her last-to-first victory by 1 1/2 lengths was her only Breeders’ Cup race against females. She won the Classic in 2009 and was runner-up in 2010. Jerry and Ann Moss owned Zenyatta, trained by John Shirreffs. She won 19 of 20 and earned $7,304,580.

Smith: “It was a short field, but a very strong field of fillies and mares. I think Sheikh Mohammed had a really nice mare in there [runner-up Cocoa Beach]. But man, it was Zenyatta. She won pretty handily. It was pretty much a great public exhibition. And it was neat to be a part of.”

Royal Delta, Santa Anita, 2012

She won the 2011 Distaff with Jose Lezcano at Churchill Downs and repeated with Smith. Royal Delta employed surprise tactics – she sped to the lead and won by 1 1/2 lengths. Benjamin Leon’s Besilu Stables owned Royal Delta, trained by Mott. She raced another year and retired with 12 wins from 22 starts and earnings of $4,811,126.

Smith: “There was a lot of speed in the race, but the big mare caught a flyer leaving there. I didn’t wait, I went. I put her on the lead. Sometimes when there’s more than one horse with speed, [other riders] don’t tend to go as hard. It felt so good. And it was a really nice filly [My Miss Aurelia] that finished second that day.”

Midnight Bisou, Santa Anita, 2019

Third in the 2018 Distaff, Midnight Bisou is 7 for 7 in 2019. She has won 12 of 18 and earned $3,410,000. Her owners are Jeff Bloom, Chuck and Lori Allen, and Sol Kumin. Steve Asmussen trains Midnight Bisou.

Smith: “The wonderful thing about her is she runs all different kinds of races. She’ll be close one day; she’ll be last the next time. it just depends on the race she wants to run that day.

“She’s so quick. She has a turn of foot on the dirt that is almost like a grass horse. She’ll explode on the dirt. And you don’t need much room. She’ll get in and out of there as fast as you want her to.

“As far as accomplishments, she probably has a little bit to go to get to a Zenyatta or an Azeri or something like that. But she’s getting there. If [Midnight Bisou] can finish out the year undefeated, she’ll go down as one of those mares.”