Posts Tagged ‘Triple Crown’

By Ray Paulick
There has been a lot of talk since Charles Cella shocked the racing world with his $5 million Apple Blossom gambit comparing the proposed Rachel Alexandra - Zenyatta confrontation at Oaklawn Park with the storied match race between Triple Crown hero War Admiral and the great Seabiscuit. Jess Jackson, the owner of Rachel Alexandra, likes to talk about how he saw Seabiscuit race in California during his youth. But does Jackson remember that Seabiscuit was defeated in his final race before the match with War Admiral, just as Rachel Alexandra lost her 2010 debut Saturday at Fair Grounds?

I went to the source on all things Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand, the author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend and asked for her thoughts on yesterday’s performances that went from the agony of defeat for Rachel Alexandra’s camp to the thrill of victory for those backing Zenyatta. Here are Laura Hillenbrand’s thoughts comparing the two rivalries:

There are obvious limits to the parallels one can draw between Seabiscuit-War Admiral and Rachel-Zenyatta.  But what came to mind as I watched Rachel lose, and Zenyatta win, is that past is not always precedent in such meetings.  War Admiral’s last start before the match race was the Jockey Club Gold Cup, and he won it much as Zenyatta won her race–under wraps, in smashing style.  In his last start prior to the match, Seabiscuit was soundly beaten by the soon-to-be champion three-year-old filly, Jacola.  He was carrying 24 pounds more than Jacola, and encountered traffic trouble, but she beat him rather impressively, breaking the track record at Laurel.  Seabiscuit’s loss made War Admiral even more of a favorite in the match race, but Seabiscuit’s trainer, Tom Smith, wasn’t the least bit worried.  The losing effort brought Seabiscuit’s fitness to the place he needed it to be, and he trounced War Admiral a little more than two weeks later.

Zenyatta’s connections were surely hoping to preserve her unbeaten record; for Rachel, a loss would be a much smaller deal, so perhaps they could afford to have her a little less fit, in the service of having her peak in the Apple Blossom.

Times have changed and horses are handled far differently today, but am I crazy in suggesting that there could still be an Apple Blossom between these two with Rachel winning, just as Seabiscuit not only went on to face War Admiral but defeated him soundly?

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
It’s Triple Crown season, so owners and trainers have begun to compile roadmaps to Louisville for their Kentucky Derby hopefuls. So much has changed in recent years with the advent of synthetic tracks, a shuffling of dates for important prep races, and the emergence of new graded stakes with purses fueled by casino money.

The Derby is generally the only race in the Triple Crown that has an oversupply of candidates. Derby Fever strikes otherwise knowledgeable horsemen and sound businessman to the point that getting a runner into the big dance is a small victory of some sorts—even if it means the only picture their horse is in at the finish is the wide-angle shot taken from the blimp flying overhead.

Getting into the Derby field is simple. Your 3-year-old has to rank in the top 20 by money earned in graded or group stakes—not just in America but anywhere in the world. The amount to make the top 20 varies from year to year, but it’s generally somewhere in the $100,000-$150,000 range.

All graded stakes, however, are not created equally.

There was an exception to the graded stakes rule in 2009, when Churchill Downs and Kempton racetrack in England offered a guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate to the winner of the Kentucky Derby Challenge Stakes in March (it also included some travel money). The purpose of the Challenge was to stir up some interest in the Kentucky Derby among bettors in the United Kingdom. The fact it was a one-and-done promotion (not to mention that Churchill canned Tom Aronson, who came up with the idea) suggests it was not successful in its maiden voyage.

The reliance on global graded stakes earnings has worked OK, but there are some obvious pitfalls. What if, for example, Sheikh Mohammed owned the first four finishers in the UAE Derby, a graded stakes in his backyard with a $2-million purse, and he wanted to run all horses in the Kentucky Derby. He might have that opportunity, since the winner of the race gets $1.2 million, the runner-up $400,000, $200,000 to third and $100,000 to fourth.

Then we have the imbalance in American Graded Stakes purses. For example, Uh Oh Bango, last year’s runner-up in the $750,000 Delta Jackpot, a Grade 3 race at Delta Downs, is almost assured to have a starting spot in the Derby, thanks to the $150,000 he earned. Same with the upcoming Sunland Derby, an $800,000 race that will be graded this year for the first time (it’s one of the races Mine That Bird didn’t win last year). The winner and runner-up of that race will likely earn enough to make the field.

That relegates traditionally important Grade 2 races like the Fountain of Youth ($250,000 purse) or San Felipe Stakes ($150,000) to lesser roles on the road to the Kentucky Derby. Doesn’t seem right.

The answer is simple, and it’s not one that I can claim as my idea. Churchill Downs should come up with a comprehensive points scale for top three or top four finishes in Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 races, so that the runner-up in a Grade 3 race doesn’t get put ahead of the winner in a Grade 2 race just because the Grade 3 race carried a higher purse.  It shouldn’t be that difficult, and will be a much more fair process for determining who deserves to be in the Derby’s starting field.

This will not happen in 2010, as the nominations have already been solicited for this year’s Triple Crown races, and the conditions for each of the races spelled out. But with the contract between Churchill Downs and NBC expiring this year (along with NBC’s contract to televise the Preakness and ABC’s deal on the Belmont), it’s a perfect time to address this type of issue.

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
“I’ve been doing this since 1979, and I just can’t get a fair shake.” So says Michael Gill, North America’s leading owner by money and races won on four different occasions who finds himself in a familiar position–at the center of controversy, after Penn National jockeys voted Saturday night not to ride in races if Gill’s horses are entered.

The jockeys took the initiative following the fifth race at Penn National, when a Gill-trained horse, Laughing Moon, blew a suspensory and fell after the finish, causing another horse to go down. Gill had a runner entered in the sixth race, but that horse was scratched. Gill-owned horses entered later this week also have been scratched, and Penn National officials said Monday they temporarily have banned his horses from the entry box, according to bloodhorse.com. Jockeys complained that an unusually high number of horses owned by Gill have either broken down or suffered injuries in Penn National races in the last few months, putting riders at risk. One of Gill’s horses broke down on Thursday night, and Laughing Moon became the 15th runner since October to break down, pull up during the race, be eased, or return lame following the finish.

Penn National officials said seven of Gill’s horses broke down in 2009, a figure that Gill disputes. But even if that number is correct, he said, he believes his percentage of breakdowns is in line or lower than that of other stables that compete at the Pennsylvania track.

I was unable to reach Gill over the weekend prior to publication of Monday’s Paulick Report article on the Penn National incident, but I contacted him Monday at his Mortgage Specialists office in New Hampshire. Needless to say, he wasn’t happy with the actions of the jockeys or with the unwelcome publicity, and in a 30-minute, emotional interview touched on a wide range of subjects. Among the revelations from the 54-year-old Gill were:

- He has fired Darrel Delahoussaye, the trainer of Laughing Moon. “They (Penn National) put a gun to my head, and someone had to take the bullet,” he said. “I feel bad about this. But if I lose the (49) stalls at Penn National, I’m out of business.”

- Some time last year, Gill hired former Oaklawn Park and Louisiana Downs leading trainer Cole Norman. Norman was released from prison in January 2009 after serving time for negligent homicide, for his role in a fatal car crash in which he was under the influence of prescription pain killers. Norman works at Gill’s Elk Creek Ranch in Oxford, Pa., which is used as a training center for horses that race at Penn National, Philadelphia Park, Laurel, Mountaineer Park and Charles Town. “He’s a good trainer,” said Gill.

- Though he said he has lost tens of millions of dollars over the years, Gill claims he didn’t “put one penny of my money into the business last year. I can go to the IRS and say this is a business, it isn’t a hobby.” Gill said he is in a five-year audit with the Internal Revenue Service over whether or not his racing stable is a legitimate business.

- Apart from the horses that broke down at Penn National in 2009, Gill claims he had only one other horse break down in a race. “I ran 2,247 horses last year,” he said. “If a guy had 100 starts and one horse breaks down, is that unacceptable? We’re running in the middle of winter on muddy tracks.

- Gill denies “running sore horses,” and said he didn’t have a single bad test in 2009. “And was anything found in any of my horses after they broke down? Nothing.” I asked Gill about widespread rumors that shock-wave therapy is used at Elk Creek Ranch on horses close to a race. “I never use shock-wave therapy. Never have had a machine. Never, ever used it once, and believe me, plenty of guys have tried to sell me the machines. I don’t believe in them.” He also said he would “open the farm to anyone to inspect it. They can go over every horse I have.”

- He attributes much of the stable’s success to the fact he gives all of his horses medication for Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis, or EPM, a neurological disease. “A good 80% of horses have EPM,” he said. He also has throat surgeries, or myectomies, performed on many of the horses he claims because “with EPM, one side of the flap (in the epiglottis) is gone, and the other half doubles in size. Then it closes up. The surgery helps them breathe.”

- His stable, at one time consisting of 450 horses in 2009, was reduced to 220 and he is in the process of reducing it to 120. “I’m still downsizing,” he said. Furthermore, Gill claims that “all of the horses go to retirement programs.” He wasn’t specific as to where they go. “I give good homes to them,” he said. “I’ve given away 20 horses in the last 30 days for $1.”

- Gill didn’t say he planned to take legal action against Penn National, the jockey colony or the Jockeys’ Guild, but said “Do you know when people organize against one person, that’s a significant lawsuit. Does anybody understand that? I’m tired of suing racetracks—and winning, by the way, every effing time.” He said the jockeys took the action–reported to be a unanimous vote—because “it’s a very closed community at Penn National; a lot of good old boys. I went in there and won all these races, and I’m winning with only two jockeys.”

- Though he lives and works far away in New Hampshire, Gill said he keeps tabs on the stable both at the training farm and the track. “There’s not a race that goes off that I don’t see,” he said. “I have cameras in the barn that go right to my office. I turn around and see every race. I do what I can to be able to run both businesses.”

Why, I asked Gill, is he still in the business, if he thinks he is so mistreated and so misunderstood? “I love the competition. I love the animal. I am a competitor. I am that $5,000 broke down racehorse. I’m a raw competitor with bad knees and sore neck. What better place to compete than in horse racing, and I don’t even gamble on these horses.”

Gill continues to be denied stalls at many tracks, and doesn’t understand why he isn’t appreciated for his involvement in the game and for “showing the industry that you can make money doing this. Of course, if people find out they don’t have to buy a $1-million yearling to make money, do you think they’ll spend money at those sales?”

I suggested to him that people spending that kind of money are looking to win big races during the Triple Crown or at the Breeders’ Cup, not $5,000 claiming races in the dead of winter. “That’s the lottery mentality,” he said.

He turned the tables and asked me a question: “Why don’t you like me?” I said I thought he was arrogant and used his horses as a means to an end.  “You’re mistaking arrogance with competitiveness,” he said. It was clearly an argument I wasn’t going to win.

“Look,” he said. “I came from a seminary, had no money, didn’t go to college. I worked harder than everybody else to get what I have. I started my mortgage company in a one-bedroom apartment, and my living room was my office. I loved horse racing and turned around and invested my money. I go to work every day and haven’t had a vacation for as long as I remember.

“I just don’t understand: What have I done that’s so wrong?”

Copyright © 2010, The Paulick Report

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New York Times sports writer Joe Drape takes a look at the highlights and low-lights of racing during the ‘aughts’. From the successes of Azeri, Rachel Alexandra and Zenyatta to the lows of Barbaro’s breakdown and Big Brown’s chemical enhancements, to some of the Triple Crown near misses, it was a mixed bag of a decade for racing.

Read what Joe has to say here and then come back to the Paulick Report and let us know what you think.

- Bradford Cummings

By Ray Paulick
In the sale ring, on the racetrack and in the breeding shed, A.P. Indy has been a star. The son of Seattle Slew topped the 1990 Keeneland July yearling sale when he sold for $2.9 million. He was the champion 3-year-old and Horse of the Year in 1992, his victories including the Belmont Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Classic. He’s been leading sire in North America on two occasions—2003 and 2006—and he has sired the winners of 10 or more Graded/Group stakes races in eight of the 14 years he’s had runners on the track.

Furthermore, A.P. Indy has developed into a leading sire of sires, with eight sons ranking in the top 100 on bloodhorse.com’s leading sires by North American earnings for 2009. One of those sons, Pulpit, has two of his own sons on the list, Tapit and Sky Mesa. So, including A.P. Indy, his sons and his grandsons, 11 of the top 100 positions by North American earnings trace to this horse sired by a Triple Crown winner, produced from a broodmare of the year, Weekend Surprise, who is a daughter of another Triple Crown winner, Secretariat.

A.P. Indy is also the leader by number of American Graded Stakes winners of 2009, with nine sons and daughters winning 14 AGS races. His sons Pulpit and Malibu Moon rank second with seven AGS winners each. A.P. Indy has achieved this great success at stud without the benefit of super-sized foal crops. Only one of his 14 crops exceeded 100 foals, and the average size of each of his foal crops of racing age is 71. The average number of foals in each of Pulpit’s nine crops is 62, and the average for Malibu Moon’s seven crops is 79.

Perhaps less is more.

Three of A.P. Indy’s nine American Graded Stakes winners of 2009 won Grade 1 races: Flashing (Test and Gazelle), Music Note (Ballerina and Beldame) and Telling (Sword Dancer Invitational). Malibu Moon has two Grade 1-winning daughters, Funny Moon (Coaching Club American Oaks) and Devil May Care (Frizette); Pulpit sired Grade 1 winners Pyro (Forego) and Mi Sueno (Del Mar Debutante). Two other sons of A.P. Indy sired Grade 1 winners of 2009, Jump Start (Rail Trip, Hollywood Gold Cup) and Stephen Got Even (I Want Revenge, Wood Memorial).

One of his most exciting sons to enter stud is Bernardini, whose first crop turns two years old in 2010. A.P. Indy has already solidified his position as one of the most influential and important sires of the modern era, but his final chapter is yet to be written.

It could happen, judging from the results of Monday’s two Grade 1 races for 2-year-old colts, the Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga won by the Lukas-trained Dublin, and the Del Mar Futurity won by the Baffert-trained Lookin at Lucky. Both colts turned in strong performances to win their respective races, and they each have the pedigree to continue as the races get longer. It’s a long, long way, however, from the first Monday in September to the first Saturday in May, and a lot can happen. But Lukas and Baffert each are well stocked with well-bred and talented 2-year-olds, and history shows they know what it takes to win the Kentucky Derby.

It would be great for this sport if these two Hall of Famers and now-fast friends do show up at Churchill Downs with the leading Derby contenders next spring. Lukas and Baffert have been the two most recognizable faces and best spokesmen for the game when the media and general public are paying attention—during the Triple Crown.

Seven Derbies have passed since Baffert last stood in the infield winner’s circle and it’s been 10 years for Lukas. They were synonymous with the race in the 1990s, when the sport and the industry at its foundation were going through better times. Neither Lukas nor Baffert is big enough or strong enough to save the sport on their own, but their success can help move it back into the spotlight.

It was hard to believe when reading David Grening’s Daily Racing Form recap of the Hopeful that Lukas has gone nearly four years without a Grade 1 victory—his last one coming with Folklore in the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Belmont Park. That’s a huge drop from the 1980s and early ‘90s when “D. Wayne off the plane” was winning Grade 1 races in bunches, from coast to coast. There were the 10 consecutive North American training titles by money won, from 1983-92, and four more from 1994-97. In 2008, Lukas finished 93rd by money won. Lukas also started a horse in 20 consecutive Kentucky Derbies, from 1981-2000, a total of 38 in all (and, yes, I know, and Wayne probably would admit that some of those horses didn’t belong). But he’s been without a starter in five of the last nine Derbies, a race he won four times between 1988 and 1999.

Some of Lukas’ most important owners, like Bob Lewis and W.T. Young, died, and some others moved on to different trainers.

Baffert hasn’t experienced quite as severe a drought, but he, too, has weathered some storms in recent years. Prince Ahmed Salman and Bob Lewis were important patrons of Baffert, and his stable suffered from their deaths. Like Lukas, Baffert also lost some owners to other trainers, but he’s had some loyal ones, too, like Lookin for Lucky’s owner Mike Pegram, who convinced Baffert to make the transition to Thoroughbreds. 

Baffert won the North American money title four consecutive years, from 1998-2001, but in three of the last four years (2005-08), he slipped out of the top 10. In six years, from 1996 (when Cavonnier fell a nose short of the Lukas-trained Grindstone, almost giving Baffert a Derby win as a rookie) to 2001, Baffert started 11 horses in the Derby. In the eight years since, he’s had just seven Derby starters. He’s won the Derby three times, with two seconds and two thirds.

While both came from the Quarter horse ranks, they were more rivals than friends in the 1990s when Baffert appeared on the Thoroughbred scene and threatened Lukas’ dominance over the sport. But as the years have passed and both men have mellowed, they’ve become good friends. Baffert even asked Lukas to introduce him at this year’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, something Lukas did with his usual flair.

Both are enjoying a revival in 2009. Baffert surged to third in the trainer money-won standings following an unforgettable Labor Day weekend at Del Mar that included three Grade 1 victories (Zensational in the Pat O’Brien, Richard’s Kid in the Pacific Classic, and Lookin at Lucky in the Del Mar Futurity—all for different owners). Lukas, though ranked 42nd by money won, is just getting his 2-year-olds going, and he has said he’s loaded, thanks to some new owners, including Legends Racing (which also has horses with Baffert and Nick Zito) and Scott Ford of Westrock Stable, along with some mainstays, including Dublin’s owners, William Mack and Robert Baker.

“This was my No. 1 pick in the sales,” Lukas said of Dublin (who was one of two Grade 1 winners at Saratoga over the weekend sold as yearlings by Gerry Dilger’s Dromoland, the other being Spinaway winner Hot Dixie Chick). “I still haven’t lost my eye in that part. I like to play in the main arena – these 2-year-olds, when they turn 3, that’s the name of the game.”

The boys—Lukas and Baffert–are back, and I think the game is better off because of it.

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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By Ray Paulick
A late-running son of Birdstone won the 141st Belmont Stakes, but it wasn’t Mine That Bird, the Kentucky Derby winner, Preakness runner-up and Belmont favorite. Instead, making the last run under Kent Desormeaux, 11-1 longshot Summer Bird–a troubled sixth in the Kentucky Derby in what was just his fourth lifetime start–got up in the final furlong to beat Dunkirk and Mine That Bird  by 2 3/4  lengths in the mile and a half "test of the champion" at Belmont Park on Saturday. Charitable Man was fourth, followed by Luv Gov, Flying Private, Brave Victory, Mr. Hot Stuff, Chocolate Candy and Miner’s Escape.

There was an inquiry involving the second and fourth-place finishers (Charitable Man checked inside the eighth pole when Dunkirk may have drifted out) but stewards allowed the original order of finish to stand.

Belmont Stakes chart. 

Video of the Belmont.

Summer Bird, who was winning his first stakes race, covered the 1 1/2 miles on a fast track in 2:27.54, well off the 2:24 track record set by Secretariat in 1973, but the fastest Belmont since his sire, Birdstone, ended the Triple Crown hopes of Smarty Jones in 2004. Birdstone, a son of Kentucky Derby winner Grindstone, was clocked in 2:27.50.

Bred and owned by Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman and trained by Tim Ice, Summer Bird settled into fifth position early under Desormeaux, saving ground for the first mile as Dunkirk galloped through fractions of :47.13 for the opening half-mile, 1:12.43 for six furlongs and 1:37.86 for the mile. Miner’s Escape and Mr. Hot Stuff were his closest pursuers early, with Charitable Man not far behind.

Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel trailed the field early, but began their run with about five furlongs to go. Summer Bird was shuffled back to ninth as the field bunched up on the front end around the far turn, but Desormeaux bided his time and didn’t panic. Borel, meanwhile, was asking Mine That Bird for his best and he moved toward the leaders as the field rounded the final bend and into  the long stretch. Desormeaux came off the rail and rallied five wide into the stretch, gaining ground with every stride as Mine That Bird, Charitable and Dunkirk battled for the lead to inside the eighth pole. But Summer Bird had all the momentum, taking the lead at the sixteenth pole and drawing away.

It was a jockeys’ race. Desormeaux, riding in his sixth Belmont and getting his first winner, has learned from some past mistakes, such as when he moved Real Quiet to the lead too soon in the 1998 Belmont. Real Quiet, bidding for the Triple Crown, was caught at the wire by Victory Gallop, losing by a nose. It’s possible he would have been disqualified had he hung on, as Desormeaux allowed Real Quiet to drift out into Victory Gallop’s lane that year. Dexormeaux had also finished third on Free House when Touch Gold spoiled Silver Charm’s Triple Crown bid in the 1997 Belmont, and second aboard Medaglia d’Oro when rushing to the early lead and caught in the late going by Sarava in 2002, as War Emblem failed in his Triple Crown bid.

Last year, Desormeaux pulled up Kentucky  Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown at the top of the stretch when it became apparent the horse was hopelessly beaten. He was widely criticized for that move. Desormeaux, in fact, for all his successes (he’s won three Eclipse Awards, three Kentucky Derbies and is a member of the National Museum of Racing Hall of  Fame), never seems that far from controversy. For much of his career, horse players felt the Louisiana native didn’t ride hard to the finish when his mounts were beaten, complaining that it cost them a placing in exotic wagers.

Borel, also from Cajun country, was riding in his first Belmont. He boasted throughout the week that Mine That Bird would win, but Desormeaux called Borel naive about the rigors of the Belmont. It turns out experience may have mattered. Even Chip Woolley, interviewed on ABC immedately after the race, said he felt Borel moved a bit too soon in the race. The same thing happened to Stewart Elliott, who lacked big-race experience, when he moved Smarty Jones to an early lead in his failed effort. Birdstone ran him down in the final strides.

Summer Bird, produced from the Summer Squall mare Hong Kong Squall, was a late starter, going unraced as a 2-year-old and not debuting until a March 1 maiden race going six furlongs at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. Finishing fourth that day, the colt was wheeled back 18 days later in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Oaklawn and won by 2 1/4 lengths. Trainer Ice put him against graded stakes competition next, where Summer Bird finished third behind Papa Clem and Old Fashioned in the Grade 2 Arkansas Derby. He was 43-1 to when finishing sixth in the Kentucky Derby in a better than looked effort, after which Summer Bird’s connection opted to replace inexperienced rider Chris Rosier with Desormeaux.  

The change in riders may have made the difference, and the Jayaramans now have their first classic winner.

POST RACE-COMMENTS OF THE WINNING CONNECTIONS:

KENT DESORMEAUX
KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN
VILASINI JAYARAMAN
TIM ICE

            KENT DESORMEAUX:  (Singing) Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. All right, Timmy.  Oh, that’s some good water.
            THE MODERATOR:  Okay.  We’ll be getting started in just a moment or two.  We have the happy connections of Summer Bird.  Left to right we have the trainer, Tim Ice, who celebrated his 35th birthday in style with a Belmont Stakes victory.  Now, seated next to Tim, winning rider, Kent Desormeaux, his first Belmont Stakes victory of an illustrious career.  Of course the owners, Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, Devi. Congratulations to all four of you.  First I’d like to start, Tim, your first year of training, you and the horse have come a long way in an awfully short period of time.  Are you overcome by emotion after such a win as this, right?
            TIM ICE:  Right now it’s just unexplainable.  I have to thank the Jayaramans both for sticking with me.  At first it was a little rough, you know.  We had a nice colt coming on the way here.  Picked up.  They sent him to me in January.  I owe everything to them.
            THE MODERATOR:  Kent, congratulations on your first Belmont Stakes win, something I’m sure a lot of people feel is long overdue. Were you surprised aboard Summer Bird to see Mine That Bird moving in front of you?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  I got to be honest with you.  I didn’t pick up Mine That Bird till the 5/16 pole.  I was riding my horse, paying attention to details, making sure he was comfortable … I don’t think there was a bias, not saying that.  Just saying with it being fair and equal throughout.  I thought an inside trip might help me.  When I did pick him up, I was a little bit disappointed.  I was like, how am I going to catch him?  He’s already in front of me.  But when I did get that opportunity, this colt just laid down and took off.  He really exploded the last, probably 500 yards, and there was never any doubt turning for home after he changed his leads.  The only way I was going to get beat if there was somebody behind me coming, he had dead aim on the leaders.
            THE MODERATOR:  KK and Devi, you ran Summer Bird in a $1 million race, the Arkansas Derby, off just a single maiden victory. Clearly you all knew your horse had some special talent.  What gave you the confidence to make that this pretty significant step up in class so boldly?
            VILASINI JAYARAMAN:  Summer Bird was well all along as two-year-old, took a long time to get to the races, not that he had any problems. He didn’t have explosive speed of a sprinter. We kept him in the farm, trained him in the farm on the track.  We thought he was a good horse.  All the rest of the work was done by Tim Ice and I thank him.  Thank you Tim, for Kent, for his beautiful ride.
            THE MODERATOR:  Tim, in addition to all that hard work up front, you made a slight adjustment going into the race. Adding blinkers certainly seemed to pay off.
            TIM ICE:  I think adding the blinkers let him focus.  I think Kent Desormeaux helped a lot.  With the blinkers and Kent, had they put it together and won the third leg of the Triple Crown.
            THE MODERATOR:  Do you know what might be next for the Summer Bird?
            TIM ICE:  I’m not sure.  We’ll discuss it, the owners and I.  We thought about trying him on the grass, but after this, we may, you know, we have some options.  We’ll sit down and discuss it.
            THE MODERATOR:  I want to throw open questions both upstairs in the Press Box and down here in the room, and I’ll repeat the question for the benefit of those who are listening upstairs.

            Q.  For Kent, if you could just discuss the difference in emotions from last year’s Belmont to this year.
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  Last year’s Belmont was like swallowing a spoon sideways, what a pill to swallow.  I go from a horse, in my heart, I thought could not lose.  He had some adversity and lack of training.  I still didn’t think he could lose.  Things happened the way they did, he didn’t respond.  I babysat him and now here today.  Tim babysat me.  I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to ride for Tim and Drs. Jayaraman and thankful for Belmont for putting on a great show.  Mother Nature treated us well and NetJets.

            Q.  Not only did you have Big Brown last year, you had probably the toughest beat in horse racing history, aboard Real Quiet.  You were 0-for-six in the Belmont, had two disappointing races, were you starting to think there was some (inaudible) Kent Desormeaux?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  No, not at all. Especially after the first Belmont (with Real Quiet), I slept very well.  I thought that, given the opportunity, I’d do it the same way all over again.  Hindsight is 20-20.  Cornering for home, Real Quiet, I did not think I could lose.  I don’t know what he saw.  I don’t know why he gawked.  For anyone thinks he got tired, he was not, he gawked on the lead, and the only stride Victory Gallop was a head bob on the wire, because that’s when Real Quiet saw, and three strides later, I was a length in front. So it just wasn’t meant to be.  With that being said, I did also try to, you know, maintain my confidence, know that when God had it in my plan, it would happen.

            Q.  Dr. J and Mrs. Dr. J., you’ve bred a lot of good horses; could you describe anything outstanding about this horse as a foal and also as he progressed to his early training, did anything stand out to you from the get-go?
            KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN:  I believe of about 25 two years old last year, he was a standout in the room.  He was strong.  He never had any physical problems, but he didn’t have that an explosive sprint.  He was a standout.

            Q.  Who trains at the farm?  Who trains for you at the farm?
            KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN:  I do that.

            Q.  This is a question for Tim.  When I spoke to you the other day, we kind of talked about what this would mean to your young career to have a win in the Belmont Stakes.  Now that you’ve done it, can you tell me what you think?
            TIM ICE:  I don’t know yet.  I’m still taking it in and enjoying this right now.  If my career goes nowhere from here, I’ve got a Belmont win.  They can’t take it away from me.

            Q.  You also mentioned to me that you hoped you could sort of branch out of Louisiana Downs and you thought maybe within the next year or so you would look at some other locations.  Do you think this will be sped up and what are those locations you’re looking for?
            TIM ICE:  Right now I’m settled at Louisiana Downs.  Next summer we’ll probably look at other places, maybe come up here on the east coast.  Just, you know, right now we’re going to enjoy this win and figure out everything later.

            Q.  Last question, do you think you’ll bring the horse back to the Louisiana Downs?
            TIM ICE:  He’ll go back to Louisiana Downs.

            Q.  When will that be?
            TIM ICE:  He’s going to Churchill on Monday and Churchill to Louisiana Downs.

            Q.  Tim, can you describe the process, how Kent ended up on the horse, and Kent, can you talk about with his connection to your brother, did you know him pretty well?
            TIM ICE:  Well, we called Kent after the Kentucky Derby and he was already obligated in the Preakness.  So we waited.  I talked to Joe Talamo about riding him.  We got up here. We talked to a few people.  You know, they said, we needed a rider that knows the track. And nothing against Joe, you know, we found us a rider that knows Belmont and, you know, we got the job done.

            Q.  Kent, your part of the question, did you know Tim very well because of his relationship with your brother?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  The answer is yes.  I think I’m just thankful that we did have that connection.  It’s probably part of the opportunity.  But I think personally, I think Tim, the phone will ring.  He won the Belmont. His phone will ring and I want to congratulate him on doing the right thing.  He had this horse here early.  It is very, very different lay of the land here at Belmont.  We don’t call it the Big Sandy for nothing.  The track is different.  The sand is different and the horses probably get a little stoved up training here the first couple of days already.  They’re not fast like Churchill or Pimlico.  And I think he needs a pat on the back for getting the job done.  He did it right and that’s why he’s taking his picture and that’s why his phone is going to ring.

            Q.  Tim, when we talked to you Wednesday after the horse was on the track, you liked the way he moved and looked really good.  You said if he keeps his energy up, we’re going to be hard to beat.  How was it from those days on?  Was it an anxious waiting for this day?
            TIM ICE:  We took it day-to-day.  The horse was going great all week.  Anybody that come up and ask me about him, I said this horse is going to run big.  He’s a good-feeling horse.  He was fresh, you know.  He had five weeks in between the Derby and the Belmont and that helped the colt a lot.  He’s still maturing, and, you know, he proved it today. We did the right thing by skipping the Preakness and waiting on the Belmont and bringing him here early.
            THE MODERATOR:  Dr. Jayaraman, a question from upstairs in the Press Box.  You’ve had a lot of trainers throughout your owner career. Here in Tim Ice, you have a man who’s been training on his own for just a year.  Can you discuss using Tim?
            KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN:  I cannot say anything about the trainers I had in the past.  Tim has been exceptionally good.

            Q.  Kent, you had a pretty big day today. You had three wins earlier on in the afternoon in a row.  Did that give you any extra confidence going into the Belmont Stakes?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  Yeah, I was flying high as a kite until I rode Wesley and the bottom fell out.  I was really hopeful that I thought I had a big chance in that race and I really would like to have a do-over there.  It was unfortunate I had to go into the race after Wesley.  It’s what we do as jockeys, onto the next one, erase the board, move on.  I tell you what gave me confidence, I watched this horse gallop a two-minute lick last week.  He was going better the second time around than the first time.  That’s where I had had my confidence.  It was enjoyable to watch.  I thought he was doing very well.  Not only that he definitely touted himself all the way to the game, he was … dancing, never stopped dancing.

            Q.  Kent, you probably just answered the question I’m going to ask you, but how well did you know this horse before you rode him, and can you compare it to other Belmont’s you’ve ridden, how confident were you, really, in his ability to win the race?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  Well, I’d like to tell you a story, but the reality is, I breezed him, boy I had to scrub on him just to make him do things. He did work well, but he was a horse that needed a lot of encouragement.  I got him to do what Tim and I wanted to do out of the morning breeze.  Like usual.  Morning hours, there’s nothing like afternoon horses. This horse drug me around the racetrack.  I tried to use the track tactics that offered me wins in the past.  Instead of staying three or four lengths behind a horse where his nose gets filled with sand, I tried to stick it up behind somebody so he could get his full breath. Instead of the sand pelting him in the nose, it was going under his belly.  Those little things I tried to accomplish at the Big Sandy here at Belmont.  Tim had the horse breathing fire.  I was able to steer him around the racetrack.  Everything worked out. I’m thrilled to be here talking to you about my first Belmont.

            Q.  After last year’s Belmont, did you ask yourself is there anything you could have done differently, or did you simply not have the same horse?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  I kind of think I dwelled on that a little bit, just the fact that I think I say I hope that through this, horsemen will understand and have the confidence, as usual, that if I’m given the opportunity, I try not to bail.  And usually if it’s not an ending result of success, I hope that the end result, once it’s dwelled upon, the blame finds itself elsewhere …  I can’t tell you how much I’m going inside, how well it feels to have that contentment and to be able to go home and rest at ease knowing I’ve won the three American classics.

            Q.  Kent, you’ve ridden horses going for the Triple Crown in the Belmont, now you’re on one that had the five weeks rest, being on both types of horses, how different was the feel on the fresh horse and what does that say about the attempt of these guys trying to win the Triple Crown and with the new move of horses than waiting the five weeks?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  It’s a very good question, and it’s an emphatic obvious.  It’s so dramatic to me because all of the previous mounts … this horse showed me the difference.  I mean, he was toe-y, dancing, just that bit of energy that tells you, "Let me at ‘em, let me at ‘em, I can’t wait to get to them.  I want to be a racehorse."  Whereas, the other ones, they all were kind of just here we go again.

            Q.  To either of Drs. Jayaraman, you guys took a big chance on an unknown trainer that had not much experience on his own; tell us why you chose Tim and what did you see in him to give him your horses and did you have any reservations that maybe he hadn’t had any experience, as a head trainer at least.
            KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN:  I knew Tim for three or four years when he was working as assistant for other trainers, and I thought he was doing a good job.  In the past I’ve done that also without knowing the trainers very well.

            Q.  Kent, was there a point where you perhaps you were deciding to go inside or outside or were you always waiting to pull him outside. Were you thinking of a Bo-rail ride up the inside?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  Well, I actually was thinking if Borel is going to beat me, he’s going to have to come around.  It’s a Louisiana life-long lesson.  With that being said, I actually was a little disappointed.  I thought I had waited too long, because by the time we got to the three-eighths pole, I was still covered up, and we quickened, the entire field quickened, and I went from being drug behind the flight in front of me, to being just allowing him to float, and they were opening up on me.  They actually had a better turn of foot than I did at that instant.  It was only for maybe 15 strides I’d say, at least a sixteenth of a mile, I couldn’t keep up and they no longer progressed away from me and I started eating the ground up and catching them.  That’s when I looked for a path and found a seam, and he took off even faster after I was able to clear his face up and get him clear sailing where there was no objects in front of him.

            Q.  Tim, can you talk about your decision in training for you’ve been training for 15 months what was it that made you realize it was time to go out on your own?
            TIM ICE:  I was an assistant trainer for 15 years, I put in all the hours and hard work and I thought I might as well do it for myself. It took a little longer, but I think I got a thorough knowledge of the sport and what it’s about.  I worked for Keith Desormeaux, great guy, with him five years.  Cole Norman three years, Morris Nicks for two years, a few others in between.  But those are the three that influenced me the most and, you know, I have to thank those guys as well where I’m at today because they showed me a lot, taught me, they had a lot of confidence in me to hire me.  It was just a matter of you know, turning 34, it was time I working for myself.

            Q.  Doctors, could you describe your emotions during the race when the horse started to make his move and also your emotions at the end of the race, please?
            KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN:  It was great. It was like a dream winning the Belmont.

            Q.  Were you yelling?
            KALARIKKAL JAYARAMAN:  Oh, yeah, we were yelling.
            THE MODERATOR:  Same question for you, Tim.
            TIM ICE:  All I could hear was my hollering, I couldn’t hear anybody else.  It was surreal to see the red cap, blue blinkers coming on the outside, it was just a thrilling, exciting finish.

            Q.  Kent, you’ve been in this business a long, long time, do guarantees ever work?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  I’ve given them out before and had some success.  You learn in the end you usually just shoot yourself in the foot.

            Q.  Were you surprised Calvin guaranteed?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  No, not at all, and I can’t blame him for it.  I think that you start to feel like superman, you feel invincible.  I guarantee you he went into the race with that utmost feeling he could not lose, and I wouldn’t want anybody any different on my horse.

            Q.  You had that feeling you said before Real Quiet but not before Big Brown, what was the difference between those two races?
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  Big Brown was dealing with a lot of adversity, everyone knows about the foot.  No foot, no horse.  There was the lack of training in the three weeks.  I mean, you know after the Preakness moving onto this race.  There were several moments we didn’t even know if he was going to run.  That’s the answer.
            THE MODERATOR:  Anything else for team Summer Bird?  All right, well, Tim Ice, Kent Desormeaux, Dr. Jayaraman and Devi, congratulations on a terrific berth day and happy birthday to you, Tim.
            TIM ICE:  Thank you.
            KENT DESORMEAUX:  Thank you all.

            End of FastScripts
TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BY ASAP SPORTS: ASAPSPORTS.COM

QUOTES FROM MINE THAT BIRD’S CONNECTIONS: 

CALVIN BOREL
CHIP WOOLLEY
            THE MODERATOR:  Okay.  We are live in the interview room with Calvin Borel who is the rider of Mine That Bird, finishing third.  There is an inquiry in progress that still has not been adjudicated regarding the second place finisher, Dunkirk.
            Calvin, can you take us through the trip on Mine That Bird?
            CALVIN BOREL:  I had a good trip. He was fine, you know.  He was a little bit more forward, you know, like I expected going around the half, you know, and down the back side, I thought he might win.  When I got to the point I still thought he was going, I told my fiance on the weekend, that horse, he got wide in the Derby, can’t keep no credit away from my little horse.  He tried.  He run his heart out, and I wouldn’t give up for nothing in the world.
            THE MODERATOR:  In an ideal world, did you make the lead sooner than you expected?
            CALVIN BOREL:  They kind of come back to me pretty quick.  But I was still comfortable, you know, I mean, from the eighth pole to the wire, I was still comfortable.  Last 40 yards he kind of threw the towel in.  When I moved him, I was happy to get over a little bit, save a little ground, no excuses.  He run his eyeballs out.
            THE MODERATOR:  Last question before I throw it out to the media.  It’s been a very emotional five weeks for you, can you describe your emotions now that it’s come to an end?
            CALVIN BOREL:  It’s been a good road.  It’s unbelievable.  First two legs, I mean, I won’t change it for nothing in the world.  I’m going to be there tomorrow morning, try again, try to get another one.
            THE MODERATOR:  Questions in the room for Calvin?  I’ll repeat them for the benefit of those listening upstairs.

            Q.  Did he take you into the race?
            CALVIN BOREL:  He kind of took me a little earlier than I wanted in the back side.  I knew the fence wasn’t good. It’s kind of keep down there.  When I eased him out, he took me a little earlier than I wanted.  So I let him go on.  The horses in front kind of stopped, like a walk the last quarter of a mile.  Like I said, you know, he tried.  He bellied down when the horse come up to the outside. So I can’t take nothing out of him, you know.  It’s very — track is deep, you know.  He just got no excuses, nothing but race track in front of us.

            Q.  Calvin, any noticeable difference in Mine That Bird’s demeanor before or during the race?
            CALVIN BOREL:  No, sir.  He was happy.  Chip … did a good job getting him ready, keeping him happy. Main thing, to get him here, we did that. He run a good race.  Where he come from, he run a good race.

            Q.  Calvin, did he seem tired to you at all?
            CALVIN BOREL:  Not really, no.  He was — I don’t think he got tired.  If anything, you know, maybe moved him a little earlier, let him get up there earlier than I was supposed to.  I wasn’t going to take the race out of him, because I knew someone was going to plod on this and beat us, that’s what happened.

            Q.  Why did you think that Summer Bird was the horse to beat?
            CALVIN BOREL:  If you watch him run in the Derby you’d see why.  I thought that was the horse to beat.  My little colt run so hard the last two races, you can’t take nothing away from him.  Chip did a good job with him, like I said. Coming for home, I thought he was home free.  He bellied down, run his little heart out.  So, please don’t knock him down.  He’s not a bad horse.
            THE MODERATOR:  We’re also now joined by Mine That Bird’s trainer, Chip Woolley.
            Chip, first and foremost, tell us how Mine That Bird came back from the race.
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  He looked good off the track.  He wasn’t dead.  He was tired, he looked okay.  Talked to Charlie just now, he’s on his way on the barn. He looked all right.
            THE MODERATOR:  Post-Derby, Calvin, was a bevy of emotion, you were very stoic.  Calvin is pretty stoic now and graceful in defeat.  What are your emotions after this five-week run?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  My emotions are real high right now.  I want to congratulate Tim Ice.  He did a great job.  We’re disappointed, down a little bit, but the colt did run a big race.  Calvin rode a good race.  Watching it live, I haven’t watched the reply, I can’t comment too much on the race, other than I thought we might have gone ahead early.  Hard to say that when you haven’t seen the replay.  I may have a whole different outlook on it when the time comes, really sit down and watch it.  I heard Calvin say the horse was kind of fresh down the backside, kind of getting up into the bridle.  That’s kind of something he hadn’t been doing in the past.  So I think he run a great race. It’s been a lot of fun.  I was a little concerned with the horse when he went to the holding barn today.  He was a hair more, a little more amped more than he had been previous races, you know.  Maybe I had him a hair too fresh.  Maybe I should have done something different when we got here.  But it’s hard to say.
            THE MODERATOR:  Okay.  People listening in the Press Box may also ask a question.  It will get relayed down here and asked.  Questions for the trainer and jockey of Mine That Bird.

            Q.  Calvin, you talked about, you know, how much will you kind of go over your performance and your ride in a race like this when you talk about did I move him too early, did I not?
            CALVIN BOREL:  Not that I moved him too early.  The horses in front come back to me quick, going that far.  It might have looked like he was a little fresher, but they’re going a mile and a half.  He was going to put me in the race a little bit more, you know … after they passed seven-eighths of a mile, they come back real quick.  I didn’t move on him till the quarter pole. I was still happy.  We just got outrun, sir.  It’s been a hard trip, a hard run. The colt’s tried every time he run.  You can’t take nothing away from him.  Like I said, maybe might have moved a little tad early.  But he took me there  …   I mean, when they moving that easy and the horses are coming back to you that fast, it might look like he got there quicker.

            Q.  Chip, do you think your horse has done enough to wrap up the championship at this juncture?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  Not by no means. He’s going to have to step up to the plate and do more before the end of the year, if he’s got any shot at it.
            THE MODERATOR:  Chip, can you fill people in on what might be the next step for Mine That Bird, or is it too soon to figure that out?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  Well, I mean, really right now what we’re aiming at is probably another race out here on the east coast somewhere.  We haven’t picked a spot yet, kind of studying everything. Going to give him a good eight weeks between races and let him freshen up. Maybe a little time off, not much. Couple weeks off and back into training, and see if we can’t aim at something over here on the east coast, and maybe his ultimate goal, of course, is going to be the Breeder’s Cup.  So maybe two outs between now and then if the horse is doing well. I’ve got a run this by Mark Allen and Dr. Block.  They’ve given me a great opportunity here.
            THE MODERATOR:  Questions for Chip and Calvin.
            David.

            Q.  Calvin, wondering any regrets about guaranteeing –
            CALVIN BOREL:  Colt run the race. He run like I thought he would.  I can’t take nothing away from him.  I love the horse to death.  He’s an animal like a human being, just like me.  He tried his heart out, went out, performed today.  I put him in a position to win and, you know, we just got outrun.  That’s it. The other horse maybe starting to come around more seasoned now and we got outrun today; don’t take nothing away from the little horse.

            Q.  Where will he be based at for his upcoming training, Chip?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  We’re not sure yet. For the next week we’ll be at Churchill. We leave Monday morning, at Churchill for a week, and make a decision.  We’re going to stay around for Stephen Foster Day, and make a decision where to go from there.
            THE MODERATOR:  More questions for Calvin Borel or Chip Woolley?  Right here.

            Q.  Do you see this as sort of the beginning for you, kind of burst on the scene and now the horse is running great all three races, any long-term plan?  We going to see you back here every year?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  Even Wayne (Lukas) don’t make it back every year.  I’m guessing not every year, but I hope to be back. It’s been a great run.  Had a wonderful time.  We’ll be back.  We’ll be scratching and trying to get back here again.

            Q.  Calvin, will you think twice before you ever guarantee again?
            CALVIN BOREL:  No.  Not really.  I thought I was on the best horse coming in.  And I was on the best horse.  Like I said, you know, when I rode him in the Derby, he run the last race and you hook him up again.  Right now he probably run a different race again.  I feel for my animals when I ride him.  I know he’s a good colt.  I know it was five weeks back to back.  If you’re not going to come here and ride with confidence, you may as well not come.  When I come to ride races like this, I come with confidence.

            Q.  Calvin, you never thought it could get bigger than what it was, what’s it been like?
            CALVIN BOREL:  It’s been a good road.  I wouldn’t change it for nothing in the world.  Thank you, Chip, and the owners and everybody for the opportunity to ride the colt back and still do business with them.  I promise, you give this colt a little time, you’ll see a little better horse.
            THE MODERATOR:  Whenever that next start is, Chip, you expect to be giving Calvin the leg up?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  Absolutely, without a doubt.

            Q.  Do you have any questions for Tim Ice now that he’s doing the ranks of rookie classic winners, Tim Ice?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  Not really.  I just welcome him in.  It’s been a fun run and he’s a deserving guy.  The guy works hard and does a good job.

            Q.  Chip, did the horse seem the same to you today as he has been?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  Yes, I think he was. Like I said, he might have been a hair higher today coming in here, just a little more amped up.  But overall, he was the same colt that led up in the Derby. He run a great race.  I’ve got to watch the replay.  The horse run a great race. He placed himself a little more up in the race.  But other than that, I mean, he just run a great race and got beat, and you have to accept that and go on.

            Q.  Along those lines, did you have any misgivings when you saw him place himself up, placing himself forward?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  I was a little concerned he was that close.  The closer he gets, the less he’s going to have him stretch.  Kind of concerned me, but that’s some of my job to make sure when he goes out, he’s not too high and he’s not dragging Calvin out there, too.

            Q.  He it seemed from my eye to be lugging out in the stretch?
            CALVIN BOREL:  No, he was getting a little tired in the end there.  But he wasn’t lugging out in the end.  I mean, it’s just a tiring track.  It’s kind of sandy, you know, that type of track isn’t like any other.  It’s not like a regular track.  It’s a sandy track.
            THE MODERATOR:  Is it possible that last couple of furlongs what we saw might have been a result of the three grueling races?
            CALVIN BOREL:  Exactly.  Might have took a little out of him the last two races, but he rode his heart out.
            THE MODERATOR:  Any final questions for Chip or Calvin?  Gentlemen, congratulations on a thrilling and unexpectedly wonderful Triple Crown run by Mine That Bird, and best of luck to both of you in the future.

            Q.  Chip, what time will you be at the barn in the morning?
            CHIP WOOLLEY:  I’ll be early.  I’ll be there between 5:30 or so.
            THE MODERATOR:  Gentlemen, thank you very much.  Congratulations, again.
           TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BY ASAP SPORTS: ASAPSPORTS.COM

QUOTES FROM CONNECTIONS OF THE OTHER HORSES:

Todd Pletcher, trainer of runner-up Dunkirk (No. 2): "He ran well. I told Johnny (Velazquez, jockey) the same thing I told him all week - we wanted him to get into his rhythm. He made the lead very easily and we were very happy with that. At the three-eighths pole, we thought he might have been lucky."

John Velazquez, jockey of Dunkirk: "He battled every step of the way. He just got tired late, but he ran a huge race. He was definitely tired when I pulled him up, and he tied up. I hosed him down, and he seemed to be okay. I couldn’t believe I was on the lead early. There was no pace. The way he broke, he was already there on the lead, so I didn’t want to hold him back. I didn’t see Mine That Bird, and he came to me at the eighth-pole. Then, I got after my horse and he put up a real good fight and came back to beat Mine That Bird for second. He just ran his eyeballs out, but unfortunately, we just got beat."

Chip Woolley, trainer of third-place finisher Mine That Bird (No. 7): "He looked good coming off the track. He was tired, he was used, but he looked all right. I want to congratulate Tim Ice. He’s done a great job with the horse. We’re a little down, disappointed right now. I thought he might have moved a hair early, but I haven’t watched the replay. He ran a great race. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ll give him a good eight weeks off and let him freshen up. We’ll aim at something on the East Coast."

Calvin Borel, jockey of Mine That Bird: "I thought I had it won when I got to the quarter-pole. They came back to me pretty quick. When I moved, I was happy. No excuses. He ran his eyeballs out. He took me a little earlier. When I eased him out, the horses in front kind of stopped. He got out-run, no excuses. He had a lot of racetrack in front of him. He ran a good race. I don’t think he got tired. I might have let him get up earlier, but I wasn’t going to take the race out of him. Turning for home, I thought he was home-free. He ran his heart out. I put him position to win, and we just got out-run.. Don’t take anything away from the little horse.

(about guaranteeing victory): "No regrets. I thought I was on the best horse going in. I know he’s a good horse. He’s been five weeks, back to back. It’s been a good roll, and I wouldn’t change it for anything."

Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of fourth-place finisher Charitable Man (No. 6): "It was a pretty fast pace going that far. I was confident he was going to run well. He ran well, but I thought he was good enough to win, so it’s disappointing."

Alan Garcia, jockey of Charitable Man: "He ran good, my horse. I saw Dunkirk; he went to the lead and I was waiting.. I saw Summer Bird make a move and I said, `OK, it’s time to go.’  My horse kept going, and then he got tired.  He ran a good race and I’m happy with the way he ran."

D. Wayne Lukas, trainer of fifth-place finisher Luv Gov (No. 5) and sixth-place Flying Private (No. 8): "No [excuse] that I can see, it’s sort of tough to watch it live. I want to see the replay.  I don’t know if we got a track that was conducive, but I don’t want to make any excuses, I would rather watch the replay first and see what it looks like. You know, when you watch it live up there and a mile and a half it’s pretty hard to find them out there.  I thought that horse was live that won it and I thought Dunkirk ran a beautiful race.  It wasn’t all that surprising, I thought Summer Bird had an excellent chance the way he’s been closing and we’ll salute the winners and rack ‘em up next year."

Julien Leparoux, jockey of Flying Private: "I had a very good trip actually, but my horse didn’t get there for me - I just ran out of horse."; Miguel Mena, jockey of Luv Gov: Unavailable for comment.

Eoin Harty, trainer of eighth-place finisher Mr. Hot Stuff (No. 3): "Edgar (Prado, jockey) had him in position to win, but ultimately, it wasn’t good enough"

Edgar Prado, jockey of Mr. Hot Stuff: "When Summer Bird made that move on the turn, no one was going to catch him."

Jerry Hollendorfer, trainer of ninth-place finisher Chocolate Candy (No. 1): "He pulled up good, but we had no excuses. We ship out on Monday."

Garrett Gomez, jockey of Chocolate Candy: Unavailable for comment.

Nick Zito, trainer of seventh-place finisher Brave Victory (No. 10) and 10th-place finisher Miner’s Escape (No. 9): "Brave Victory — I don’t know where, he got stepped on, but he’s got a big gash on his knee. He’ll be okay. He was moving nice the first time and he might have been a little closer. I’m not making excuses. Rajiv said Mine That Bird made a pretty quick move on them. I’m not taking anything away from the Birdstones [NOTE: Winner Summer Bird and third-place Mine That Bird were both sired by Birdstone, who won the 2004 Belmont Stakes with Zito as his trainer].

"I was kind of surprised that Dunkirk took the lead.  You know, I think if Miner’s Escape got that spot we might have run a little better but he had no excuse.  The horse stumbled a little but he recovered pretty quick. I’m not making excuses, but he had a bad break."

Jose Lezcano, jockey of Miner’s Escape: "He had a fair trip, he put himself in a good spot where I would want to be.  I thought I had striking position and at the end I don’t know if he got worn out or whatever, but he just didn’t have the winning touch."

Rajiv Maragh, jockey of Brave Victory: "I had the time of my life!  I had a good trip and he put himself in a good spot, unfortunately he just didn’t have that winning punch.  I’m a little disappointed, but he tried hard and I can’t be too mad at the horse or myself, it’s not everyday, you can’t win every race, but we had a fair shot at it."

Copyright © 2009, The Paulick Report

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