GARDEN CITY (G1) QUOTES

Saturday, September 15, 2012

 

 

GARDEN CITY (G1) QUOTES

 

Chad Brown, winning trainer of Samitar (No. 3): “This filly, Ramon rode her perfect. She had been training great and blended into our program nicely. She came to me in good shape to begin with. I was happy to see her get 1 1/8 miles. That was my one reservation, watching her train and in her races. She has the quality to do it, but I needed to see it, and I saw it today, which is great. On the stretch out to 1 1/8 miles, she [naturally] put herself [closer to the pace]. Ramon rode a terrific race, and that was the difference. The Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup [Grade 1, Keeneland, October 13] makes the most sense; I’ll talk with Mr. Schwartz before we commit to it.”    

 

Ramon Dominguez, winning jockey aboard Samitar (No. 3): “The plan [was to sit off the pace]; that’s what I was instructed to do. There was a little concern in me because I didn’t see any pace on paper. I knew there was the potential – especially going a mile and an eighth – that it was going to be a paceless race. But, everything worked out really well. My filly settled beautiful and she got a great setup right behind the two leaders. I really had first run at them, so it worked out great.”

 

Martin Schwartz, winning owner of Samitar (No. 3): “My heart’s going, beating hard. I thought she was going to do it a little easier for me. I’m very happy, though, but I’m a little more drained than I thought I’d be.”

 

“This is the first time she has gone a mile and an eighth. I thought the ground suited her well. She likes firm ground. All things being equal, we’re going to go to the QE II next if Chad says so, which I’m sure he will.

 

“She’s very athletic, this filly. She’s not big, but she’s beautifully proportioned. She’s got a big heart, too. When she ran at Ascot in June, it was a crazy race. She was laying second or third, and there was a 20 mile-per-hour headwind and she finished fourth. All the speed horses ended up in back of her, and all of the horses in back ended up in front because they drafted off the front because the headwind knocked the daylight out of them. Plus the ground was a little soft there. She was very gutty. She fought for fourth that day, and even in [Grade 2 Lake George] Ramon thought she was done and she fought back on.”

 

Joel Rosario, rider aboard runner-up Somali Lemonade (No. 4): “She ran great. [Samitar] was the horse to beat. I thought I had a very good chance turning for home, but it was too tough to get the winner. She was gaining, but she probably was second best today. The winner just kept on going.”