Saturday, April 21, 2012
JEROME (G2) QUOTES
Michael Hushion, winning trainer of The Lumber Guy (No. 1): “Usually I get cold feet as it gets closer to the race, but I really didn’t with him. Every morning I came in, his hay rack was empty and he’s standing in front of the stall, bright. When you have a big, strong horse with a lot of talent I think they can make you do a lot of things, and you still look like you know what you are doing. His gallop out looked good to me – from what I saw quickly – so I don’t know about distance limitations. I guess that 36 flat (1:36.04) is going to come up a nice time. Getting to the two-turn thing is a bridge we’re going to have to cross sometime pretty soon. Today, he showed what we were hoping he would show. When he got his head, in front his stride just opened up. His stride looked awfully good down the backside. He’s a nice, big mover. Mike did a nice job nursing his speed. Really good job.”
Mike Luzzi, winning rider aboard The Lumber Guy (No. 1): “That was cool. Not knowing the horse and just going by what Michael had said, he’s real fast. I didn’t want to warm him up too much to where he was too speedy. He left clean, he was in my hands. It felt slower than it was, honestly. It wasn’t out-of-control speed. He’s just a talented horse. I know the fractions might have said differently, but to me it felt like we went slower and it felt like I still had a lot left [in the stretch]. He galloped out good, too.”
