Saturday, August 30, 2014
Bernard Baruch (G2) Quotes
Charles LoPresti, winning trainer of Wise Dan (No. 4): "We wanted a good race for him to get started with. He's been through a lot. I knew he was training good and I knew he was going to run good. I wouldn't have been disappointed if he was beat today; it would have been something to build on. He showed today why he is the two-time Horse of the Year. To overcome what he's overcome ... if you'd have seen him four days after that surgery it [was] like he never even had surgery. That's the amazing thing about him. He'll build from this race, I have to think. God willing, he comes back good. He'll be way tougher next time."
"We wanted to run here. I came here to run. I came here to train, and I came here to run. I really wanted to do it, and I'm really glad that we did."
John Velazquez, winning jockey aboard Wise Dan (No. 4): "He was really tough. He showed he has the heart of a champion. [He carried] 127 pounds coming from a long layoff. When I got to the eighth pole, I didn't think I got it. When I got past the sixteenth pole he was giving me everything he had and the other horse [Optimizer] was coming from the outside. There was a little bit of doubt, he was getting tired. [I'm] incredibly proud. It's incredible to have this horse coming back. What happened to him, training and come back and run with 127 pounds, that's incredible."
Jose Fernandez, trainer of runner-up Optimizer (No. 2): "I thought we had it, but it didn't quite work out that way. But that's OK. I think he's coming back to form. Hopefully, he'll do better next time. I just took good care of him, that's all. I don't know what other people do; I just know what I do. I've always loved that horse. I'm glad he's back."
Alan Garcia, jockey aboard runner-up Optimizer (No. 2): "My horse had a great trip; he did everything but win. I thought we won the photo."
