BREEDERS’ CUP THEY SAID IT
NOVEMBER 6, 2009
“This mare’s been running hard, and she actually ran against the boys a couple of
jockey
“Well, yeah, because I knew she probably would have ended up second. Zenyatta’s a
Gomez
“Oh, we’d sure like to have a good pace and a good trip, and have
Life is Sweet’s
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“We were running in this race regardless. But we were very happy that
she was going in the Classic.”
co-owner
Martin Wygod on if he would have run
Life is Sweet in the Ladies’ Classic against Zenyatta
“I was trying to scream, but I wasn’t breathing,
so I was really trying to get it out, but I couldn’t get it out because I had
stopped breathing. It’s extremely exciting. Especially when you know she got the
job done and was still close to an eighth of a mile left for her. It was, I don’t know, exhilarating.”
Wygod
describing his reaction to seeing
Life is Sweet winning the Ladies’
Classic
“If she’s totally sound, we would seriously
think about racing her another year, but she’s going to have to go over a
careful exam. If she’s 100 percent, we would think about another year.”
Wygod
about bringing Life is Sweet back for a five-year-old campaign
“She had a little
bit of trouble in the stretch, but I don’t think that cost her the race. The
pace was fast, and I thought that she would get to it, but she just didn’t have
it.”
jockey Rajiv
Maragh on his ride aboard third-placer MUSIC NOTE (A.P. Indy) in the Ladies’
Classic
“She was just
in-and-out out there. She went left, she went right on me, and I couldn’t get
her to settle. And then, it just wasn’t there. Today just wasn’t her day.”
rider
John Velazquez explaining PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]) antics in the Ladies’
Classic, where she ran fourth
“She was
a little too fresh and keen and she had herself traveling three-wide into the
bend. She didn’t relax enough down the backstretch. Look where the winners come
from; tells you everything, doesn’t it?”
trainer
John Gosden on the performance of Ladies’ Classic fifth RAINBOW VIEW
(Dynaformer)
“Naturally I
am a little disappointed. She’s a young filly and she’s had a tough season. She
got tired at the end. The important thing is that she came back OK, and that
was our main concern. She’s a nice filly. And she’s only three and has her whole
career ahead of her.”
conditioner Josie
Carroll on Ladies’ Classic favorite CARELESS JEWEL (Tapit), who ran eighth and
last after setting quick fractions on the front end
“I think it’s a lovely feeling, I tell you. The
Master trainer
“I think the Breeders’ Cup, I always sort of
Cecil
“Well, we went through a bad patch for four or
Cecil on his
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“(Midday’s) a peculiar filly in that she’s got
loads of class — a great turn of foot — but she tends to hit a flat spot. Of
course it’s a worry when the horse comes off the bridle a little bit. But I knew
when she hit top gear she’d respond and find plenty for me. And thankfully she
had plenty in reserve when it mattered.”
jockey
Tom Queally is well acquainted with Midday’s character
“I dissected it to begin with, and found there
wasn’t a whole lot of pace, and I didn’t want to give the leaders too much of a
lead. I always had it in the back of my mind that she might hit a flat spot,
which she did. But as the boss likes me to ride the horses, keep it simple, get
a nice position, and get her on the stretch. Keep her balanced. And I knew she
had the heart and the attitude, plus the ability to dig deep when it mattered.”
Queally’s
pre-race analysis set the stage for his winning ride
“I’ve got to sit down and talk to Henry and
Prince Khalid. But the plan would be to take her back to Europe and campaign her
next year in Europe. And possibly come defend her title, hopefully at Churchill
next year.”
Juddmonte
Racing Manager Teddy Grimthorpe on future plans for Midday
“Personally I’d love to run her another year, but
I’ve experience with horses like (1979 champion older mare) Waya (Fr). They tend
to leave so much on the racetrack that I’d just as soon turn her into a
broodmare.”
—owner
George Strawbridge Jr. speaking of champion FOREVER TOGETHER (Belong to Me), who
finished third in her Filly & Mare Turf title defense
“When I was watching the rerun after the race (the Alcibiades), I knew what happened. I
trainer Wayne
“I knew at the quarter pole (that she wouldn’t go on).
jockey Kent
“The Dubai World Cup is pretty special. But to
trainer
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“Well, I think it is the greatest moment by far.
And many, many thanks to Dale. His father and I were very close. His daddy
trained for me. And then, he passed on a little early in life, and Dale’s my
adopted son.”
Frank
Jones, the owner/breeder of Tapitsfly, likewise savors the moment
“Well, I’m probably one of these folks that
doesn’t have a lot to do with the breeding or the racing of them. I just leave
that in the hands of other people, and Beau Lane and Dale decided who we should
breed this mare to. And obviously they’ve done a great job. And I just stand
back and let them do their work, and I can go on about my other business.”
Jones gives the
credit for Tapitsfly’s success to others
“Yeah, I had trouble getting it drawn up because
you couldn’t figure out the formula. I told Robby (Albarado) we didn’t have a
lot of options. I thought we needed to break and give (Tapitsfly) the first
sixteenth, eighth of the mile to try to clear the rest of the pack. And it
worked out perfect, because it seemed she just liked to sit off of her
(pacesetter Rose Catherine [Speightstown]) .”
Jones on his
strategy session with jockey Robby Albarado
“He didn’t break very well, but it takes him maybe a half-mile
—jockey Johnny
“The last few days, watching the people and the excitement build. The
trainer
“I think it’s a beautiful surface. For everybody, it’s definitely the
conditioner
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“I don’t know. It could have been a
couple of things. It could have been the Pro-Ride. He had a long campaign all
year long. Running against the best horses throughout the year. So it is the end
of the year, so, you know, fresh horses came at him. I’m not going to blame it
on the Pro-Ride, I’m not going to blame it on anything. It’s unfortunate he went
out in his last race not winning. First thing I thought about when I came to the
gates today though.”
—Albarado
reminisces about his experience with two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, who
wound up fourth in his synthetic debut in the 2008 Classic