Saturday, October 9, 2010
Michelle Nihei, winning trainer of Prince Will I Am (No. 7): “[The lack of pace] was just terrifying, but it was just one of those days where I woke up this morning – after two hours of sleep – and everything was going his way. He’s not taken one step wrong. If he was going to run a huge race, it was today.
“I told Jose [Lezcano, jockey] that I thought he should put him in the race a little bit on the backside, but I said ‘Jose, you know that turf course better than I do, so you choose. I’m just telling you what I think has to happen – he needs to be in contention somewhere early in the race, earlier than usual.’
“Jose came back and he said ‘I lost a little ground, but I felt like we could make it up and I had him close enough that I was comfortable and the horse was comfortable.’ This is the biggest win for me. Mr. and Mrs. Atkins…are contemplating still looking at the Breeders’ Cup as an option…he is not nominated. We’re looking at the mile and a half [Breeders’ Cup Turf] and we’re also looking at the
Jose Lezcano, winning jockey aboard Prince Will I Am (No. 7): “On the backside, I knew the pace was slow, but I wasn’t that far back. Then, when I was clear, he really responded. Before the race, Michelle told me to break, and wait to make my move, because when I did, he would give me a big kick, and he did.”
Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of beaten favorite and ninth-place finisher Krypton (No. 9) and last-place finisher Lethal Combination (No. 6): “That was a slower pace than we’re used to so we were a lot closer with Lethal Combination, and Krypton just didn’t fire at the end. It may be that the turf had a little give in the ground. We’ll regroup.”
Edgar Prado, jockey aboard beaten favorite and ninth-place finisher Krypton (No. 9): “I think that the soft going had something to do with his performance today. He broke well and he was very relaxed for me down the backside. I wasn’t very happy, though, with the slow pace up front. Then when I asked him for run he gave me a little kick, but it wasn’t consistent. The other horses were just running by so fast at the end.”
