Santa Anita News

Stakes Quotes

March 2, 2013

JOCKEY QUOTES

GARRETT GOMEZ, BEHOLDER, WINNER: “The other day, the other race (Beholder’s last race on Jan. 21 in the Santa Ynez, where she ran second), I was really surprised when she didn’t run as well as I thought she was going to. But, there was an explanation for it (an ulcer was found in her throat after that race).

“Richard (Mandella) didn’t want to use that as the main excuse but there was a little question mark there from the performance. It wasn’t a horrible performance, but it wasn’t what we expected.

FRANK E. KILROE MILE STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JOE TALAMO, SUGGESTIVE BOY, WINNER: (It’s got to be thrilling to win a Grade I for Ron McAnally on a big day like this): “I tell you what, that picture is going up on my wall. I’ve always wanted to win a big stake for Mr. McAnally. He did an unbelievable job with this horse, he’s very fresh today, and I just had to point him in the right direction.

SANTA ANITA HANDICAP QUOTES

TRAINER QUOTES

BOB BAFFERT, GAME ON DUDE, 13-10 FAVORITE, WINNER, AND GUILT TRIP, FIFTH: “He’s always been able to go a mile and a quarter. I think Mike (Smith) really gets along with him well. He must have given him a breather along there somewhere . . . but the thing about ‘Dude,’ he’s got to go along at a fast clip. The horse is just a great horse. What he showed today was amazing . . . I give a lot of credit to Mike Smith, but everybody who rode him got along with him well.

February 24, 2013

SENSATIONAL STAR STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

RAFAEL BEJARANO, AIN’T NO OTHER, WINNER: (You’re winning races for everyone, but especially Jerry Hollendorfer) “Well, you know it’s always a pleasure to run for him. He’s one of the top trainers in California and he’s always giving me great opportunities to ride his horses. He always has good horses. I’m glad to win with his horse today, down the hill.”

(How did the first time blinkers help this horse?) “Well, today he showed me a lot of speed from the gate, but I didn’t want to be on the lead, so I let the speed go a little bit.

February 23, 2013

JOE HERNANDEZ HANDICAP QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

COREY NAKATANI, UNBRIDLED’S NOTE, WINNER: “I felt I had the race. My horse, he’s such a real nice horse, a real game horse. I want to thank Mr. McCarty (the owner) for letting me have this opportunity with him, and Steve (Blasi, assistant to Steve Asmussen.) You know, it’s been a tough meet for us but they are very good horses. Sometimes they’re not on their game, and today he wasn’t on his best and he was still able to get the job done. The turf was a little soft, had a lot of cut to it and he kept switching leads on it.

SAN CARLOS STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JOE TALAMO, SAHARA SKY, WINNER: “They had a real hot pace; it really set up good for us today. I’ll tell you what; this horse is one of those that only gets better with age. Jerry (Hollendorfer) has done a great job with him. He runs well fresh. It was going so fast up there and they stopped pretty good for us, but my horse was really running the last part.”

(If he thinks the horse can stretch out)

“I think he loved it. Anywhere from six to seven furlongs, he’s just a great sprinter. I think anything withone turn he’ll be good at.

February 18, 2013

BUENA VISTA STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

MIKE SMITH, MIZDIRECTION, WINNER: “If anything good came out of it, she rated really well (Referring to a bumping incident at the break). I don’t know if it was because of that or she was just going to rate well. She’s a much more mature horse this year. She’s stronger, she’s bigger, and she’ll definitely get a mile. I thought if a horse was going to come to her she would have dug back in so now at least we have options. There’s not too many six or six and a halves but we can kind of pick our spots.

February 17, 2013

SAN VICENTE STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

DAVID FLORES, SHAKIN IT UP, WINNER: (In response to being back on this horse) “It reminds me of the good ol’ days. It brings me back to a time when I was riding these kind of horses, and it’s good to be back on a horse like this.”

(This was almost a blanket finish, how was it working your way through that traffic?) “He put me in a spot I wasn’t expecting. He put me in the race right away, so I just had to be patient and wait for the pocket to open, and that’s pretty much what happened.

February 16, 2013

SANTA MARIA STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

GARY STEVENS, GREAT HOT, WINNER: “At the three-eighths pole I let her out a notch and it wasn’t full tilt yet, but it was enough to get their attention. When we turned into the stretch she had enough still to hold the other filly off.”

(Did you like the way you got her to relax going into the first turn?)

“It was so sweet. I moved her out about three wide and she just shut it down and was listening to my commands all the way around.

February 10, 2013

WISHING WELL STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

GARY STEVENS, PURIM’S DANCER, WINNER: (In response to Stevens seeing her race last time out with Garrett Gomez up and if he thought she had a good late kick) “Yeah, I went back and watched her race from the other day when Garrett rode her and tried to draw up the same trip, and we got it. When we crossed the dirt, Garrett’s filly (Nechez Dawn) kind of scooted out and my filly has a quick turn of foot though, and it was over with in a matter of strides.”

(I heard you say to Tom Proctor (trainer) you think she can go further) “She will.