Distaff quotes

Edgar Prado (jockey, Round Pond, 1st) – “I got a beautiful trip. I was able to sit in behind the speed. She was a little anxious, especially on the turns, but she settled in nicely and ran very hard to win.”

Michael Matz (trainer, Round Pond, 1st) – “It’s unbelievable, that filly (Pine Island) was stabled next to me. Nobody ever likes to see a horse get hurt. It’s very hard to see. I’ve been in that situation myself. I feel for Shug (trainer McGaughey) and the Phipps family. She (Round Pond) went into this race better than any race I’ve had her. The Molly Pitcher (her first race for Matz) was my fault, I made the call the to put regular shoes on her, and I should have kept the glue-on shoes on her. It was my fault and she paid the price. We’ve corrected that situation since then. She has trained well since. She’s a very, very nice filly with a huge heart. She’s a real winner and a real champion.

Patrick Biancone (trainer, Asi Siempre, disqualified from 2nd and placed 4th) – “It’s racing. They were weaving in front of her like a bunch of drunks. It was very bad luck. It was very unfortunate.”

Garrett Gomez (jockey, Happy Ticket, finished 3rd placed 2nd) – “My trip was OK but my filly never really got a hold of the racetrack. I asked her for her best, she tried, but she was really struggling. She was never comfortable anywhere on the racetrack, but she still ran third against some very nice fillies.”

Corey Nakatani (jockey, Balletto, finished 4th placed 3rd) – “She was doing good, but the horse next to me came out and knocked her off stride real hard. I was never able to get her going again.”

Todd Pletcher (trainer, Fleet Indian, pulled up and did not finish) – “She pulled up and she was ‘off’ on her left front and we really won’t know anything until we get back to the barn.”

Jose Santos (jockey, Fleet Indian, did not finish) – “She did it (sustained injury) along the half-mile pole, and I decided to take a hold, and take good care of her. She’s more valuable as a broodmare. It was her life, my life, and everybody’s life behind her.”

Javier Castellano (jockey, Pine Island, did not finish) – “She was where she usually is (off the pace). She was running good. We got on the backside, and I asked her to switch leads, and it happened so fast. She broke down. I don’t know what else to say.”

Julien Leparoux (jockey, Asi Siempre, disqualified from 2nd and placed 4th) – “At the quarter pole, I was starting to move on the inside, but then everyone started to come over and I had to wait until I could get out. Then, the horse in front of me was starting to stop and I had nowhere to go. I had a lot of run, and the horse in front of me had none.”

Dr. Wayne McIlwraith (On call veterinarian)— “Pine Island sustained a dislocation of the left front fetlock joint. The injury was open. Because of the combination of it being open and the instability, she has been euthanized. Fleet Indian sustainer a lateral, condular fracture in the left front fetlock joint. That’s a lot better news. That’s being stabilized, and that will be a repairable injury.”