Additional quotes to come from Silverbulletday…
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Contact: Jim Mulvihill, Communications and Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager, 504.948.1233,
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Road to the derby
Race 9-$125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes
3-year-old fillies, One mile and 70 yards, 21st running
Jockey James Graham (Touch Magic, winner): “She did everything right. When I worked her over this track a couple of weeks back she went really well and finished really strong. She did again today. Perfect trip. Finished off and galloped out good.”
Trainer Pat Devereux Jr. (Touch Magic, winner): “She hasn’t done anything wrong and she still hasn’t. It seemed like the better she settled the better she run and I think there is better in there.”
Were you confident she would handle one mile and 70 yards? “I wasn’t sure. She worked like she would and, you know, that’s what you hope. We’ve had her a month, which isn’t a very long time. She came through.
“We knew who was going to ride her before we got off the van that’s a good feeling too. I’m really happy about that.”
Will the Feb. 23 Gr. III Rachel Alexandra be next? “Still remains to be seen how often we are going to run her because she is still growing and filling in. This win was great. No one ever showed so much confidence in me that the Myers bought her and we’ve still got to prove ourselves so we’ll try to make the good moves. We’ll try to do what’s smart.”
NOTE: The Silverbulletday is part of the “Road to the Kentucky Oaks” series, a 35-race series awarding points to the top four finishers in each race, with the point totals used to determine spots in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. The Silverbulletday is worth 17 points: 10 to the winner, four to the runner-up, two to the third-place finisher and one to the fourth-place finisher. Therefore, Touch Magic earned 10 points, Gal About Town earned four points, Smitten earned two points and Irish Lute earned one point. Touch Magic had four points from her runner-up finish in the Grade III Delta Princess and now has 14 points. Gal About Town had eight points from runner-up finishes in two Grade II events, the Golden Rod and the Pocahontas, and now has a total of 12. Seaneen Girl, who was scratched form the Silverbulletday, entered the day second in the standings with 14.
Race 8-$100,000
4-year-olds and up, 1 1/16 miles, 67th running
Jockey Miguel Mena (Infrattini, winner): “My boss told me don’t rush him and get a good break. You know, the two and the one horse went to the lead and we were sitting being patient.
“This horse keeps getting better and better. Unfortunately, I didn’t ride him last time, I was out of town. But, I am thankful enough for Paul getting me on the horse and today, for me, is his best race.”
Trainer Paul McGee (Infrattini, winner): “We thought we’d give him a little time after that race at Churchill and it looks like it worked out good. We gave him two months between races and he was fresh today and ready to go. I think it paid off for us to wait on this race. Now he has won four in a row at four different tracks.
“He was a good 3-year-old and a better 4-year-old and now he is even better as a 5-year-old but I think some of that is his breeding; Include says he might be a good older horse going long.
The Feb. 23 Gr. III Mineshaft Handicap next? “I don’t know. We’ll see. I’ll get with the Zlakets and we’ll come up with a plan.”
Jockey Rosie Napravnik (Mark Valeski, second): “It was a great effort. He’s been off for a long time and that’s a really nice horse that beat him. This will set him up for his next race very well.
“He feels great since he’s come back. We never really got to test him to see
Trainer Larry Jones (Mark Valeski, second): “It was a great effort on the horse’s part, and that other horse
“Mark coming in second at Fair Grounds? Yeah, I can see that. He’s starting to make a habit of this. But it was a great effort first-time out and you could tell he was really tired; when he came back it took him a long time to get back. He was needing to catch his breath.”
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James J. Mulvihill
Communications & Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
A Churchill Downs Incorporated Company
1751 Gentilly Boulevard,
504.948.1233 [office]
504.481.8770 [cell]
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