Thursday, August 26, 2010
Jonathan Sheppard, winning trainer of Sermon of Love (No. 1): “We figured that there were two or three horses with some speed. We’d tuck in not too far behind them. He actually rode a picture perfect race.
“I was proud of all three horses. Unfortunately, Divine Fortune got squeezed a little bit just after the start. He got too far back. He had to be used to make up a little ground. Arcadius ran a game race. He did his best and ran hard. He just couldn't quite get there. They are all very useful horses. They are nice solid horses.
“Sermon of Love seems to like it up here. He was second in the Turf Writers last year with light weight and ran very well. He’s a useful horse, but his first couple of starts this year were disappointing. He seemed kind of flat. I think the blinkers made a big difference. Sometimes, these old horses get a bit smarter. A change in rider doesn’t mean one rider is better than the other. A change shakes them up a bit. I think that possibly was a factor, too. Brian seems to be riding at the top of his form right now. He won three of the four races here, and he was second in the other one.”
Brian Crowley, winning jockey aboard Sermon of Love (No. 1): “It is unbelievable having four rides and three winners with one second here at this meet. [Sermon of Love] traveled great as he normally does. I had a terrific session with the jumps and he just hit every one spot on. He was traveling everywhere that I wanted him to. I just didn’t want him to go to the front too soon, but I got a great jump over the last and I had to send him on his way. He dug deep and if a horse had come to me, I’m sure he would have given a little more to me. He really reformed since the addition of blinkers and he was just brilliant today.”
