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DERBY THEY SAID IT MAY 4, 2011 "He's really a neat horse. He'll stick his tongue out and play with you. He'll pretty much do whatever you ask of him. He does everything right and is fun to be around." —trainer Kiaran McLaughlin on Kentucky Derby (G1) candidate SOLDAT (War Front) "He's got a little trait of every horse I've ever brought here. He has the temperament of War Emblem; he's a (jerk), who has his ears pinned all the time and wants to bite people. He's like Point Given, puts on weight the more you do with him; you've got to keep working on him. And he's got the competitive spirit of Silver Charm. Now, if I could get all of that stuff working together. But he's still figuring out racing. He's off and on." —Hall of Fame conditioner Bob Baffert describing his Derby hopeful MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE (War Chant) "Everybody says that it's a bad field, but they're good horses. My horse is a good horse. They're good horses, but there is so much parity that they are saying is a bad field. Everybody wants bad horses and one standout horse. I came in here with Point Given. He was supposed to romp and he ran fifth." —Baffert speaking about this year's three-year-old crop "I think there is probably 10 horses that have a really good legitimate chance to win. Pace is going to be factor, but at the end of the day, who can get the mile and a quarter? That's what you've got to look for. When you go down there, pedigree-wise, it's a mile and quarter." —Baffert analyzing this year's Derby field "He gallops on it fine. He's galloped on it all winter at Palm Meadows. I think he's handled everything we've asked him to do. Ultimately, you just don't know how they are going to get over it until they run, but certainly from the way he's gone, he gives you every indication that he's going to handle it. And he's doing very well." —trainer Graham Motion on ANIMAL KINGDOM (Leroidesanimaux [Ire]) trying dirt for the first time in the Derby "It's unfair to just say a horse can or can't do something off of one dirt race early in their careers. A lot changes as their careers advance and it would be premature to just say that they 'can't' or 'never' will handle the dirt. Most horses train every single day on the dirt and are most familiar with it." —Mike Maker, trainer of both DERBY KITTEN (Kitten's Joy) and TWINSPIRED (Harlan's Holiday), each of whom own just one start on a conventional dirt track "It's not the worst post in the world for us because we don't have any natural speed anyway. I was telling Kiaran (McLaughlin, trainer of Soldat), it would have been worse. They drew the 17 and the 17 has never had a winning horse in the Kentucky Derby. At least mine produced a Triple Crown winner (Assault, Affirmed). It's not the worst thing in the world." —trainer Tom Albertrani on drawing post 2 with Blue Grass (G1) winner BRILLIANT SPEED (Dynaformer) in the Derby "It's good. We're not too far inside, not too far outside. We're right in the middle of the field. We'll have to make our own trip, just like anywhere, but I like the draw. I really didn't want the one hole, especially being a horse from Europe, the way that the Europeans jump away from the gate. Even though they have been doing some work with him, usually they are just a little bit slow and not used to the American style. But the horse is well-traveled and they've done some work with him. Hopefully he'll leave with the field and I can find a trip and work it out from there." —jockey Garrett Gomez, who will pilot MASTER OF HOUNDS (Kingmambo) from post 11 in the Run for the Roses "I think it's a lucky number, 13. I got my heart transplant on the (November) 13th (2008) and I was born on February 13, so I thought I'd be getting the 13." —trainer Kathy Ritvo speculating on the luck of the draw for MUCHO MACH MAN (Macho Uno) "Well, let's put it this way, I'm told that from the 19 hole there has never been a winner so far. So I guess this would have to be a first. A first for Asmussen, a first for Corey Nakatani, a first for 19, and a first for Zayat." —owner Ahmed Zayata after NEHRO (Mineshaft) drew post 19 for the Derby "It's beautiful. My jock (Calvin Borel) likes the wood (rail). You know I like the spot." —Jeff Bonde, who will see his pupil TWICE THE APPEAL (Successful Appeal) exit the 3 gate in the Derby "I don't think we'd change it. I'm happier with the '20' than the 1 hole." —trainer Kathleen O'Connell on WATCH ME GO (West Acre) drawing post 20
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