Racing Home Page: Quotes

$300,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2)

Julie Balog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:11:17 GMT

Meet: October 2009

Date: 10/24/2009

Quotes:

Saturday, October 24, 2009

$300,000 Lexus Raven Run (G2)

Leandro Goncalves (rider of winner Satans Quick Chick, his third winner of the day at Keeneland and the first graded stakes win of his career)

“I was very excited. My first graded stakes win ever. I’m very, very excited, very happy. (Trainer) Eric Reed told me to break there and sit, save ground and when I get to the three-eighths pole see where you’re at and find the best trip. He had confidence in me, and it helped a lot.”

Eric Reed (trainer of winner Satans Quick Chick, his first stakes winner at Keeneland and the first graded stakes win of his career)

“It was unbelievable. What a great day.”

On whether he thought Satans Quick Chick would win the race when she was turning for home

“I thought we were in trouble on the turn, but Leandro gave her a great trip. The waters kinda parted at the eighth pole and here she came.”

Corey Lanerie (rider of second-place finisher Slides Choice)

“Man, that was a tough beat. I had a perfect trip with her and it’s a shame she couldn’t get the win. For awhile I didn’t think I had a chance to catch that one that got away (Don’ttalktome), but she gave me a really nice kick and I was able to get past her. Once I got by that one, I was all smiles and thought I had the race won. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw the three (winner Satans Quick Chick) coming and we just got beat. But my filly ran a great race. She is a true grinder and has a lot of heart.”

Richard Migliore (rider of twelfth-place finisher and beaten favorite Flashing)

“It’s disappointing. She broke well and I was happy with the position we were in. I took her out and she fought for a quarter of a mile, but we got bounced around quite a bit. She never really took hold. She just didn't run her race.”

$125,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) – 2nd Division

Julie Balog — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:44:23 GMT

Meet: October 2009

Date: 10/23/2009

Quotes:

Friday, October 23, 2009

$125,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) – 2^nd Division

Neal McLaughlin (assistant to and brother of trainer Kiaran, who conditions winner Eye of Taurus)

On winning jockey John Velazquez’s quick exit after the race

“He’s got a plane to catch. I love a jock that’s in a hurry. He wants to get there quick and get around there the fastest. It worked out well for us. He really rode a perfect race. We talked about the race, and we were looking for a ride similar to Bluegrass Princess (winner of the first division): Stay off the rail a little bit. It looked like it on instant replay except ‘Bluegrass’ was out a little further, but a win’s a win.”

Eurico Rosa Da Silva (rider of runner-up Miss Keller [IRE])

“My trip was everything good, except I lost by a neck. Both horses ran a great race, and today he (jockey John Velazquez on winner Eye of Taurus) had more luck than me. We’ll see next time.”

Robby Albarado (rider of third-place finisher Keertana)

“She ran a pretty even race. It was a big effort from her.”

$125,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) – 1st Division

Julie Balog — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:00:54 GMT

Meet: October 2009

Date: 10/23/2009

Quotes:

Friday, October 23, 2009

John Velazquez (jockey of winner Bluegrass Princess)

“It (the turf course) is very soft, but she’s been on the (yielding) ground before. We knew she could get a good hold of it. She’s been knocking on the doors; she’s been in tough races, and she’s always coming and coming. Today, finally she got it together and went on away from the group. I think the whole thing with her is to let her do her thing and hopefully when she passes horses she’ll keep going on. In the past, she’d get next to the horses and kind of hang with the horses. Today she ran away and ran the way I thought she could.”

Neal McLaughlin (brother of and assistant to winning trainer Kiaran McLaughlin)

On saddling another Keeneland stakes winner for his brother

“He’s a busy man up in New York, and I enjoy coming out on this grass winner’s circle. So we’ll leave him at home up there.”

On Bluegrass Princess’ winning performance

“She’s had some great races, but hadn’t gotten her head in front on the turf. She’s won twice on the Poly. When I saw the weather forecast today, I was kinda hoping (the race) might come off (the turf course). She loved the ground today, and Johnny gave her a great ride.”

James Graham (jockey of runner-up Single Solution)

“I had a perfect trip. The ground got away from her a little bit, but she did everything I asked her to do, finished up strong. Johnny (Velazquez on winner Bluegrass Princess) got away from me a little earlier than I wanted him to, but that happens in horse racing.”

Rajiv Maragh (rider of third-place finisher Kiawah Cat)

“She broke from the gate good and got good position. I was traveling with a lot of horse. At the top of the lane, I kicked her out for her to make her run and she gave me her best effort.”

$125,000 Sycamore (G3)

Julie Balog — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:35:34 GMT

Meet: October 2009

Date: 10/22/2009

Quotes:

Thursday, October 22, 2009

$125,000 Sycamore (G3)

Rosemary Homeister Jr. (rider of winner Cloudy’s Knight)

“First, I just want to thank (trainer) Jonathan Sheppard. He’s just amazing; a master of the turf, and (I want to thank co-owner) Shirley Schwartz. She just had so much confidence in Jonathan and in her horse.

“Going into the race, Jonathan said, ‘You know how to ride him. Just break, sit and just try to make one big run.’ At the eighth pole, I thought I might be second or third. When Ramon Dominguez’s horse (Winchester) headed him, he just took off with him. He’s very game, aggressive, and he handled the turf course perfect.

“This is my first win at Keeneland.”

Jonathan Sheppard (trainer of winner Cloudy’s Knight)

On winning second stakes race at 1 ½ miles with the gelding, who had not previously raced in a year

“You can’t go without the horse. He’s quite something. He’s an amazing animal, he really is. He’s absolutely huge, got a great stride. He’s got a great stride, and Rosemary seems to have a great rapport with him. All of this came together at the right time.”

Ramon Dominguez (rider of runner-up and beaten favorite Winchester)

“I had a great trip up until the sixteenth pole. The winner made some contact with me and also was leaning on my horse. I felt like my horse didn’t really get a fair shot the last 50 yards or so.”

James Lopez (rider of fourth-place finisher Timeless Fashion)

“(Trainer Thomas Drury Jr.) told me just to ease him back and get him to settle as much as I could. He did that for me. When it was time to run, he did that for me. He laid it down for me. He’s a classy horse, and he’s going to do whatever you call on him to do.”

$125,000 Bryan Station (G3)

Julie Balog — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:45:20 GMT

Meet: October 2009

Date: 10/18/2009

Quotes:

Sunday, October 18, 2009

$125,000 Bryan Station (G3)

Javier Castellano (rider of winner Get Stormy, his third winner of the afternoon)

“He’s a very honest horse, really tried hard today. I handicapped this race; there was a little speed in the race. I just left him close to the pace and he responded very well today.”

On handling the yielding course

“He’s very honest. He likes it either way, soft or firm. Today he handled it so well.”

Thomas Bush (trainer of Get Stormy)

“We knew the 3 (Major Marvel) would probably want the lead and we thought we’d be in a stalking position. We were happy to see that he handled that well. He’s really gone the right way, this horse, and we’re real proud of him.

“We were such a long price I was wondering, ‘Did I make a mistake even bringing him?’ ”

On future plans

“Don’t know. We thought this was a little bit of a baby step, and he really passed it with flying colors, so we have think (about his next race). Maybe one more time (start) this year, maybe not. He’ll get a little rest at some point.”

Edgar Prado (rider of second-place finisher Rescue Squad)

“I had a pretty good trip and he gave me a nice closing kick, but the track is still kind of soft and he didn’t like it. He has run against some nice horses and today he was in against horses that he can run with. He just didn’t take to the turf.”

Kent Desormeaux (rider of third-place finisher and beaten favorite Kinsella)

“He ran well until the final turn, and then he came off the bridle and really struggled with the going. I believe he’s a true miler, but the conditions today (a yielding turf course) were more like a mile and a quarter.”

Anna Napravnik (rider of fourth-place finisher Major Marvel)

“He ran well. He got the lead early and they pushed us around the turn. He settled nicely down the backside, but I think the soft turf was probably to his disadvantage today.”

$150,000 Perryville (presented by Budweiser Select) (G3)

Julie Balog — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:47:39 GMT

Meet: October 2009

Date: 10/17/2009

Quotes:

$150,000 Perryville (presented by Budweiser Select) (G3)

Edgar Prado (rider of winner El Brujo)

“It (the trip) was beautiful. He (trainer Malcolm Pierce) told me a little bit about the horse before the race. He said, ‘As long as he’s comfortable let him be there until you press the pedal.’ That’s exactly what I did. I was just waiting, biding my time, and luckily a hole opened up and he shot through there.”

Malcolm Pierce (trainer of winner El Brujo)

“He’s never run on anything but synthetic (racetracks) and he’s done good for us. He just doesn’t want to go too far; he doesn’t want to run two turns. I think this is as far as he wants to go, maybe a mile around one turn would be the maximum.”

On what’s next for El Brujo

“We’re going to take him home (to Canada). He probably deserves a little rest now, and we’ll freshen him up for next season. He’ll be a handy 4-year-old Canadian-bred.”

Jeremy Rose (rider of second-place finisher Not for Silver)

“He ran his heart out; he gave it everything he had. We had a perfect trip; we went wide, but that’s not a bad thing on this track. He was relaxed. That other horse was just a monster.”

James Graham (rider of third-place finisher Conchacer)

“He tried real hard. He likes to be forwardly placed and I thought I was going to get second until the final jump. He tried his heart out. I’d like to ride him when he goes two turns.”

Calvin Borel (rider of beaten favorite and fifth-place finisher Warrior’s Reward)

“He was going perfect and then he just took a bad step. It is hard to say right now. It happened right when he turned for home and switched leads. Maybe it is nothing. Maybe it is his ankle, because he had a cut on his bandage where maybe he hit it so hard. I just got off him (after pulling up)."