CLICK FOR THE 2018 KENTUCKY OAKS POST-RACE TRANSCRIPT
JOCKEY QUOTES FROM THE 144TH RUNNING OF THE KENTUCKY OAKS
Friday, May 4, 2018
Florent Geroux, rider of Monomoy Girl (1st)
“This is an unbelievable feeling. The filly was sharp early and I just hustled her out of the gate to get a good position. From there I was pretty confident, but when I hit the quarter pole, her ears were flopping back and forth and she tried putting the brakes on me until she saw Wonder Gadot. When the other filly got head to head, I gave her a few slaps to keep her interested, but she can be quirky. You can get after her too much and she stops. I kept hand riding her and she pulled away at the end.”
John Velazquez, rider of Wonder Gadot (2nd)
“We were battling head and head down the stretch. When they came out and knocked her sideways, she went back to the left lead. At least I have to take a chance on it. I mean, I’m fighting the whole way around and all of a sudden the last sixteenth of a mile she goes back to her left lead because she got bumped.”
Mike Smith, rider of Midnight Bisou (3rd)
“The inside horses made a right turn leaving the gate and ran right into me. It cost me quite a bit. It cost me position. I don’t know if the bad start cost me the race but it cost me enough. We will never know.”
Corey Lanerie, rider of Eskimo Kisses (4th)
“We had a great trip. I thought we could have almost gotten third. I had a great run at the top of the stretch but got stopped for just a second. She ran awesome.”
Javier Castellano, rider of Chocolate Martini (5th)
“I had a perfect trip. It was what I was looking for to come from off the pace, because there was a lot of speed and my filly is so big with a long stride. We saved all the ground. Turning for home, I thought we had a chance, but just the last part she couldn’t keep up.”
Gary Stevens, rider of Sassy Sienna (6th)
“I had a great trip, laying third on the inside, saving ground the whole way.”
Luis Saez, rider of Coach Rocks (7th)
“She was traveling good when we were getting close to the stretch, then a horse came out so quick, and I clipped heels. My filly was moving pretty nice, she lost her momentum.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., rider of Kelly’s Humor (8th)
“I thought my filly was too close. I didn’t want to be that close but she was coming off a seven-eighths race and put me close early. I tried to wait to make my move but she didn’t respond. I think she will be a better sprinter.”
Calvin Borel, rider of Heavenhasmynikki (9th)
“I thought she ran OK. The first sixteenth of a mile, she didn’t come out running like I thought she would have. After all was said and done she didn’t run a bad race. She tried and didn’t get beat that bad. I think (running on) the grass will be good for her.”
Brian Hernandez Jr., rider of Classy Act (10th)
“We had a fairly good trip. They took the blinkers off her. We were trying to get her settled and she settled pretty good. The horses that ran one-two took off a little faster than I thought. We got bounced abound a little bit, but all and all we had a fairly good trip.”
Joe Bravo, rider of My Miss Lilly (11th)
“We got into a good position on the backstretch after a tough break. I started asking her a bit around the half-mile pole but she didn’t really kick in. We’ll get them next time.”
Ricardo Santana Jr., rider of Patrona Margarita (12th)
“I got banged around out of the gate a bit and when I asked her to respond around the far turn she didn’t fire.”
Drayden Van Dyke, rider of Rayya (13th)
“I don’t think she got to show what she can do. She hopped at the start and once she did that, I lost all chance. She’s a front runner and doesn’t like to get hit with the kickback. It was all downhill from there. She’s still a classy filly and I hope to get another chance with her again.”
Jose Ortiz, rider of Take Charge Paula (14th)
“My filly had a poor performance today. I was in the right spot the first part of the race. I broke very well, the three (Class Act) and the one (Sassy Sienna) didn’t want to go (early) so I went ahead. It was a decent pace for these horses. She went a half a mile and then folded.”
TRAINER QUOTES FROM THE 144TH RUNNING OF THE KENTUCKY OAKS
Friday, May 4, 2018
Brad Cox, trainer of Monomoy Girl (1st), Sassy Sienna (6th) and Kelly’s Humor (8th)
“It was unbelievable. It worked out just the way we planned. That was the trip we were hoping for. Florent (Geroux) did a great job getting her out of the gate and getting her into position. She was three wide into the first turn. That was kind of what we expected. It all went well. She was able to put herself where she needed to be and kick on down the lane. She did look like she got a little hesitant at the quarter pole and Florent said he had to stay on to her. She responded and finished strong down the lane.”
Mark Casse, trainer of Wonder Gadot (2nd)
“The filly that won ran very game. There was contact (in the stretch) and it made our filly switch her leads. I think it was going to be really close, but I think the stewards made the right call. To take a horse down in this type of race, it would have to be pretty significant. As much as I’d like to say I would like to have won, I understand the ruling. I’m very proud of her. She’s definitely a wonder woman.
“She has a lot (of heart). I can tell you, you come back there (to the barn) in an hour and if you’re not careful she’ll kick you. She’s a tough filly, so I’m proud of her. The filly that won it is a super filly. I think the decision was fair. I think we were right in claiming foul because there was contact three times, and like I said, the third one caused us to jump our lead.
“I lost a tougher one in the Preakness last year (with Classic Empire). I feel blessed to do what I do and run in the races I do. Of course I want to win, but I’m proud that we ran well, that’s all I can ask. Some days we win them, some days we lose them.”
Bill Spawr, trainer of Midnight Bisou (3rd)
“We didn’t get the best of starts. Mike (Smith) told me that when she got banged at the start it knocked the air out of her. She got hit again on the turn (for home). She still ran well.”
Kenny McPeek, trainer of Eskimo Kisses (4th)
“She ran great. He tried to sneak up the rail and when they were turning the corner she got stopped and lost all momentum. But she ran good. We talked about a rail trip and he (Corey Lanerie) said she’s easily third if he doesn’t get stopped.”
Tom Amoss, trainer of Chocolate Martini (5th)
“Our girl ran hard. My hat is off to the winner.”
Dale Romans, trainer of Coach Rocks (7th)
“That filly (Monomoy Girl) ran one heck of race. Brad Cox is a really good trainer. My filly just didn’t run well.”
Anthony Quartarolo, trainer of Heavenhasmyniiki (9th)
“She was traveling real good but she was just a little hesitant. I don’t know why but that’s why she gapped out like that. She just started picking up on her own and then she picked up a little bit more but she was pretty much out of it by that time. Then she gave him a real nice run but she just kind of flattened out the last 40 yards. He feels her action is all grass. We’ve always thought so, too, and this was a big test for her.”
Bret Calhoun, trainer of Classy Act (10th) and Patrona Margarita (12th)
“(Classy Act) settled and Brian (Hernandez Jr.) was forced to make a move before he wanted to and was a little bum-rushed. He probably should have moved when Johnny (Velazquez) did (on Wonder Gadot), but I thought, otherwise, it went pretty smoothly for her, actually. (Patrona Margarita) kind of sat back and picked up some minor rewards.”
Mark Hennig, trainer of My Miss Lilly (11th)
“I haven’t seen the replay, but I thought she had a little bit of a wide trip, got jostled around a little bit leaving there (from the starting gate), probably put her in a tough position to start the race. But I didn’t see a big excuse otherwise. Nothing immediate (for plans on her next race), definitely we’ll just play it by ear. Something at a reasonable distance.”
Bob Baffert, trainer of Rayya (13th)
“Her only chance was the break. She, for some reason, took a stutter-step away from there and it was over. She can’t do that and she had to be up close. It’s tough enough to come here from Dubai and to ship, but after that, she couldn’t win. It was quite a race. The cream rose to the top.”
Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Take Charge Paula (14th)
“Disappointing. But she’ll live to fight another day.”
