STAKES QUOTES – Bank of america
THE GRADE 1, $200,000 ADEQUAN
3-year-olds, 400 yards
Jockey Alfonso Lujan (Acorn, winner): “I think he shied away from the crowd a little bit but he ran real gutsy tonight and this is a special win. He really gave 110-percent and put it all on the line.”
Trainer Janet Van Bebber (Acorn, winner): “This horse, I’ve always had the utmost confidence in him because he gives 100-percent. I’m very, very proud of him. I was pleased to be on the outside of the racetrack (in post 11), although a little concerned about being on the far outside because I think he labored a little bit out there. That’s the part of the racetrack that had not yet been run over this evening. Nonetheless, he prevailed because he just persevered.”
Owner Rose Mary Chandler (Acorn, winner): “I’m overwhelmed, to say the least. We watched the race inside (on the monitor) so I could see him start and finish. I’m very excited.”
THE GRADE 1, $125,000 MERIAL DISTAFF CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
Fillies & mares, 3-year-olds and up, 400 yards
Jockey David Brown (Spit Curl Diva, winner): “In the final strides she was getting a little tired but she gave me her all and got it done. I think the sand in this track just got her a little tired.
“I’m really looking forward to [the Champion of Champions]. You only get to ride a horse like this once in your lifetime. I think this race sets her up perfectly for the Champion of Champions.”
Trainer Jody Brown (Spit Curl Diva, winner): “I really don't care for those kinds of finishes. She broke well. My concern always is that there's a horse out there that she can't see coming. She made me sweat a little bit.
Owner Tom Lepic (Spit Curl Diva, winner): “David said she labored a little bit at the end so that’s why it was close. But a win is a win. You don’t win every race by a length or two. With a race like this, you just want to win. This horse was meant to do that. It was great.
“She’s now won at five different tracks in five different states at five different distances. It’s been an unbelievable year for her.”
[WINNER NOTES: David Brown and Jody Brown are a husband and wife team…Spit Curl Diva will be flown to
Jockey
[ADDITIONAL NOTE: On-call veterinarian Dr. Tom David reported that Jesstifiably Stoli, who fell at the break, suffered a fractured pelvis, a break in her spinal cord, and paralysis of the rear limbs and quarters. “The way they break [from the gate] so hard it happened immediately,” David said. “The rider didn’t even get another step.” The mare was euthanized. Jockey David Pinon was uninjured.]
THE GRADE 2, $150,000 JOHN DEERE JUVENILE CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
2-year-olds and up, 350 yards
Jockey Larry Payne (A Plain Brown Rapper, winner): “It was a little bit of a slow start and the eight-horse came out and bumped us a bit. We got about a half-length back but he really accelerated and was just on cruise mode at the end.”
Trainer Bill Harris (A Plain Brown Rapper, winner): “We felt pretty confident. We believed in 'Rapper' all along, since (owner) Lloyd (Yother) raised him as a baby. We had him picked out from the very beginning, and he’s not let us down.”
Owner Lloyd Yother (A Plain Brown Rapper, winner): “He’s had four outs, he’s won three of them and he’s won them pretty handily so we were hoping (for a victory). He’s been a nice horse. He moved well in the pasture as a baby. He looked like the real thing.”
What’s next? “We're going to run him in some derbies. We'll just figure out what our options are. He’s sound right now, knock on wood, and hopefully he’ll remain that way and we’ll have a good 3-year-old.”
Jockey G.R. Carter (Fast Movin Vic, second): “My horse broke really well. It felt like the five-horse (Feature My Lover B) may have brushed my rear hip just a little leaving the gate and kept him from getting a really good send away from there. The seven (A Plain Brown Rapper) and the ten (Loose Perry) both had me beat but my horse finished really good and got by the ten right at the wire. I was really happy with the way he ran.”
Jockey Esgar Ramirez (Loose Perry, third): “They never gave me a chance to get settled. They put me in the gate, and they opened the gate, and we lost two lengths at the start. He ran a super race. I think he could have won if he would have had a chance to break better.”
THE GRADE 1, $125,000 RED CELL DISTANCE CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP
3-year-olds and up, 870 yards
Jockey G. R. Carter (De Passem Okey, winner): “I really liked the post position draw and how this race set up. I just let him break and he got off the shoulder of Bad Act. He changed leads when he was supposed to and made me look good.”
Why didn’t we get to see one of your customary back-flip dismounts? “I hurt my foot here about a week ago; you’ll notice I got a little ol’ limp. I hate to break everyone’s hearts but there’s not going to be any back-flip.
How did you hurt your foot? “Doing a back-flip! I was out late at a benefit and about three in the morning some of my buddies talked me into doing one and I under-rotated, came around and just drove it into the ground. I think I might’ve cracked a little bone. It’s been hurting for about two weeks.”
Trainer Rodney Reed (De Passem Okey, winner): “I felt real good about (this race). I liked the post position we drew and I felt good about G.R. (Carter Jr.) riding him.
“He broke real well, got good position, handled it with ease.”
[NOTE: This race marked the final start of the year for De Passem Okey.]
Owner Steve A. Holt (De Passem Okey, winner), from
“We got lucky. We drew a good post. Two of the big guns were outside. We thought we had a shot and sure enough we did.”
Jockey Stormy Smith (Bad Act, second): “He left there and ran to the front like he was supposed to. He just got outrun today. He did his job just like he was supposed to -- just like they said he would. He's a cool old horse.”
Jockey William Ives (Stone E Motion, eighth as favorite): “It was nowhere near what we planned. He wasn’t right tonight. I’m not sure why exactly but he did not want to run. He wasn’t in it. He didn’t give me near the effort that he usually does. About halfway through the turn he just kind of started fighting with me. We straightened out for home and I got him into his right lead and he responded for about 50 yards but then he just kind of floated down through there [to the finish]. It just wasn’t his night.”
Trainer Bill Harris (Stone E Motion, eighth as favorite): “He’s had some problems, had a bruise we’ve been fighting. It just wasn’t meant to be.”
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James J. Mulvihill
Communications & Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
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2010 Bank of
2010-2011 Thoroughbred Racing Season Opens Nov. 25
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