Saturday, October 2, 2010
JOE HIRSCH TURF CLASSIC INVITATIONAL (G1) QUOTES
Cristophe Clement, winning trainer of Winchester (No. 10) and third-place finisher Grassy (No. 1): “On that ground [how far back they are] is irrelevant. When the ground is soft, either they like it or they don’t. He won the Manhattan on very firm ground, which slightly puzzled me because I’ve always thought he was better with a cut in the ground. We’re very lucky to have won a Grade 1 on both types of turf. I think after this race, as long as he trains well, we’ll have to think about the Breeders’ Cup [Turf].
“The other, Grassy, ran very well. Third and I thought he ran a very credible race.”
Cornelio Velasquez, winning jockey aboard Winchester (No. 10): “The track is very soft so my horse was more comfortable getting covered up. Then in the last quarter I put him in the clear, and he finished very well. I followed Kent Desormeaux [rider of runner-up Paddy O’Prado] almost the whole race.
Dale Romans, trainer of runner-up and beaten favorite Paddy O’Prado (No. 9): “You’ve got to be pleased with him. Off to Louisville, as far as I’m concerned. It’s up to Jerry [Crawford] – he’ll have final say – but I saw enough to say he could be in the big one. We might have moved a little bit early, but as Kent said it was an unusual race with that kind of pace scenario and the soft turf.”
Kent Desormeaux, jockey aboard runner-up and beaten favorite Paddy O’Prado (No. 9): “He got caught in that last 50 yards. One horse beat him and I know we can’t win them all, but I think he ran a winning race.”
Garrett Gomez, jockey of third-place finisher Grassy (No. 1): “He ran really good. I thought he would like the soft [course]. He handled it beautifully. He made a nice run. When [Kent] Desormeaux made that run [with Paddy O’Prado], he couldn't quite get with him, but he ran well.”
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