Steve Asmussen, winning
trainer of Kantharos (No. 4): “You like a horse a lot, and like how he’s
doing, but it’s the variables you have no control over. Garrett said it took him
awhile to get into it – he thought he was cautious going over the track when he
was warming up. He said that during first 50 yards he wasn’t on the bridle much
at all, but after he went a little ways he got into himself. I thought that he
came into the stretch well. He hesitated a little bit when he first left [Bail
Out the Cat], but late he really looked good and smooth and like he’ll go
further, which is what everybody wants to know right now. What he’s done at
these sprint distances is very impressive and brilliant, but we want to be
greedy and get a little bit more.”
Garrett Gomez, winning jockey
aboard Kantharos (No. 4): “I’ve watched both of my colt’s races and in one
race he was actually behind horses for a ways, so I just let him get up on his
feet, let him build, and let him show me the way. I let him tell me what to do
and at what time. If you watch his first two races, this is probably an
identical re-run of both. I just tried to sit up there, be the best passenger
and stay out of his way to let him do his job. He seemed like he handled the mud
OK, and he ran fast enough. He’s a nice colt and I’d like to get on him
again.”
Rick Violette, trainer of runner-up Bail
Out the Cat (No. 1): “You know a very nice horse beat us. We were second in
a Grade 2. He at least confirmed that he is a pretty nice horse. We will let him
cool out now and see. There are a lot of options, but we’ll get him home make
sure he is all right and then come up with a game-plan.”
Alan Garcia, rider aboard runner-up Bail
Out the Cat (No. 1): “This time, he broke much better than last time. He was
second best – the other horse [Kantharos] was much the best today. I think my
horse will improve a lot off of this.”
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