CRYSTAL WATER STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JUAN HERNANDEZ, KINGS RIVER KNIGHT, WINNER: “John (Sadler) told me that this horse likes to run on the lead and the horse was ready, just ride him with confidence. All the praise goes to my horse because, out of the gate, he broke in front. I just let him be happy there. He was traveling really, really well. I was just waiting to hit the quarter pole and finally when I hit the quarter pole, I asked him to pick it up and he took off to the wire and won easily. It looks like he’s back again.
“Last time (when sixth in the Sensational Star stakes), that was 6 ½ (furlongs) down the hill, he hadn’t run in a while. I think he just needed that race for this one. Last time down the hill, we got beat, but I still liked his race, he only got beat by a couple of lengths and that race helped him for this race to be ready.

TRAINER QUOTES

JOHN SADLER, KINGS RIVER KNIGHT, WINNER: “The late great Mel Stute said, ‘Any horse that wins more than he loses is a really good horse.’ And he fits that. He’s a wonderful horse and he’s been good for a long time. Hopefully, we have a couple more good years with him. He’s just a hard trying horse and it’s easy to love him.”

OWNER QUOTES

LEONARD MIRANDA, INTEGRETY THOROUGHBRED RACING, PART OWNER, KINGS RIVER KNIGHT, WINNER: “We loved it, to see him out here run like a 1-9 shot should, that’s great. We were excited. That was the pressure, but it was relieved immediately down the stretch. You know you just think of it. I’m just happy to be a part of it, with the Johnstons who bred this horse and of course Ken. We look back and we started kind of late. We have to thank Andy Mathis, he got the horse up and training and got him pointed to the right direction. We had the opportunity to come here so you go from one great trainer to another great trainer and you couldn’t be more thankful. We are just reaping the benefits. We are so blessed.”

NOTES: The winning owners are Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, The Ellwood Johnston Trust or Kenneth Tevelde. Kings River Knight is bred by Old English Rancho.