GRADE II, $200,000 JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES QUOTES

GRADE II, $200,000 JOE HERNANDEZ STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

ANTONIO FRESU, MOTORIOUS, WINNER: “He’s proved to be a very good horse sprinting and going down the hill. Today, I tried to give him a really good warm up. He was kind of slow in the beginning and it was kind of hard to get into his rhythm. When I let him loose down the lane he just kept grinding and I thought he finished best.
“I was always confident in my horse, I know he had taken some time, but I know that he is going to get there. Phil’s done a great job with him.”

TRAINER QUOTES

PHIL D’AMATO, MOTORIOUS, WINNER: “I was very nervous. Mike Smith (Sumter) slipped up on the inside and got the jump on us. It was a dog fight from there on out. Luckily, we prevailed. Antonio said he was nice and relaxed going into the gate and he thought maybe a little too relaxed, so he broke him off away from the pony to get him on his toes and I think that was a smart move. Got him on his toes and in tactical position to get the job done. “You have to be a really good horse to adapt to the different distances, he has a great turn of foot, and I think that older disposition that he’s had now has helped him in these victories.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Anthony Fanticola