VICTOR ESPINOZA (The Usual Q.T.) -- "He's learned to relax;
it's made all the difference for him. I was just sitting back there behind
those front two (Acclamation and Enriched) and they were going in and out. I
thought for a second (on the turn) I was going to go down inside, but then I
decided I didn't have to. I went wide and he just drew out. I took a pretty
good hold of him at the end. He was a winner. I didn't need to do anything more
with him."
COREY NAKATANI (Victor's Cry) -- "The race didn't quite set
up the way we wanted. We thought there'd be more pace in there. But he kicked
for me at the end and I got through inside and fired. But the winner was gone.
He's a nice horse."
JOEL ROSARIO (Enriched) -- "He ran good. The winner is a nice
horse. But my horse ran well and we'll get them next time."
MIKE SMITH (Crowded House) -- "That pace wasn't what we
expected here. I maybe should have been a little more aggressive with him and
got up in the pocket. He might have done better with that."
CHRISTIAN SANTIAGO REYES (Acclamation) -- "He just got a
little bit tired. He ran well, but got tired."
JIM CASSIDY (The Usual Q.T.) -- "He tries every single time.
I didn't want Victor (Espinoza) to go inside [as they turned for home]. I
didn't want to get the horse stopped. Victor was smart enough to see that and
he just took a little hold and went outside. When he got in the clear, I looked
back at the field and couldn't see anybody coming. If he doesn't have any
horses next to him, he can relax and that's what he did today. I'll keep an eye
on the weather in Chicago [for the Arlington Million]. I'm not going to run him
there if the ground is bad. If that happens, we'll look at things here and
consider the Del Mar Handicap [Sunday, August 29] or even the Pacific Classic
[Saturday, August 28] on the Polytrack."
EOIN HARTY (Victor's Cry): "I think he ran a great race. The
fractions were slower than I thought they would be. But I think I just got beat
by the best horse."
The stakes win was the first at the meet for Victor
Espinoza, but his 63rd overall at Del Mar. He now ranks eighth all time in
stakes wins at the shore. It was also his second victory in the Eddie Read. The
stakes win was the first at the meet for Jim Cassidy, but his sixth overall at
Del Mar. It was his first in the Eddie Read.
The winner's final time of 1:47.28 means he ran his last
eighth of a mile in an extremely rapid :11.14, despite being hard held late.
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