Sunday, October 11, 2009
$500,000 Juddmonte Spinster (G1)
Kent Desormeaux (rider of winner Mushka)
“I thought the last sixteenth of a mile, the leader (Proviso [GB]) had idled on the lead and she was stopping. At that point, she at the same time was making a right-hand turn. With the momentum change that was being made by her gawking on the lead, I know I would have definitely caught her. But when she made me stop as well, not to run over her, she made me lose my momentum and that cost me from beating her.”
Bill Mott (trainer of winner Mushka)
On whether he thought Proviso had interfered with Mushka
“I wasn’t sure initially because of the angle, but when you see the head-on it’s pretty convincing. I think the stewards did their job. It’s unfortunate for the other horse. We don’t like to win that way, but today we’re going to have to take it that way.”
On racing Mushka in the Juddmonte Spinster
“She’d won an allowance race here in the spring. We were thinking after Saratoga that this could be a good spot to try her back in. It turned out very well.”
On whether Mushka will compete in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships
“I’ve gotta be thinking that way, for sure.”
Rajiv Maragh (jockey of second-place finisher Proviso [GB])
“My horse ran huge today and she was definitely the best. I made the lead with her and then she stopped focusing, so I tapped her and when I did she just bolted out. But still that other horse was never going to pass me. I’m disappointed, of course, but that’s the call and there’s nothing you can do. I don’t know the plans for her future yet and if she will go to the Breeders’ Cup, but wherever she goes I want to ride her back. She is a really nice filly.”
Ken McPeek (trainer of third-place finisher Teamgeist [ARG])
“She ran well. We were hoping for third or better. Calvin Borel rode her really well. We’ll have to give the Breeders’ Cup a look, but I don’t know.”
Calvin Borel (jockey of Teamgeist)
“She ran a big race. No complaints. A little more distance won’t hurt this filly.”
Jesus Castanon (rider of fourth-place finisher Dawn After Dawn)
“I had a great trip and was able to save a lot of ground. I was able to sit off the speed and she relaxed for me. Once we got to the top of the stretch, I still had a little horse and man, I was thinking I want to go to the Breeders’ Cup and she gave me what she had. But then they just ran by us.”
John Velazquez (rider fifth-place finisher Ginger Brew)
“She got a little aggressive going into the first turn. She broke a little slow and they were going a little slow up front so I put her right behind the leader (Be Fair). A horse came up to her on her outside and that made her run up. She started shaking her head and got into the bridle and that was it.”
Robby Albarado (jockey of 10th-place finisher and beaten favorite Swift Temper)
“I hope that (the surface) is all it was. She felt great physically. Down the middle of the backside I had to encourage her just to stay where I was, and that’s really not characteristic of her. She’s usually dragging herself to the lead and tugging the whole way. Today that wasn’t the case. I’m thinking it was maybe the surface; I’m not sure. I don’t feel like she got over it really well. When they don’t pull on you, it means they don’t like something.”
Dale Romans (trainer of Swift Temper)
“(Jockey) Robby (Albarado) said he never really had any horse. He didn’t like it at any point. She’s obviously a dirt horse.”
Regarding the Breeders’ Cup:
“It answers the question. She ran so bad, we’re pretty sure she doesn’t like any of this stuff (all-weather tracks), and we’ll just keep her off of it.”