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OAKS THEY SAID IT MAY 6, 2011 "Of all the races, this is the one I most want to win and we were pretty (darn) close. I am good with that and I'll be back. She will be the mother of many future runners of mine, I'll tell you that. I couldn't find her (in the race) and (trainer) Andy (Leggio) said, 'Here she comes. Oh my God she's second,' and that's all I remember." —Dede McGehee, owner of Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up ST. JOHN'S RIVER (Include) "She had a bit of a bad break. She lost a few steps and it probably cost her the race. She ran her eyeballs out like she does every time. She ran a huge race, just ran out of ground." —assistant trainer Robert Wright speaking of St. John's River hitting the side of the starting gate when breaking awkwardly "Mike (Smith) said she was kind of cramped up down in there on the rail when he really wanted to get that old long stride of her's start going. We don't have any major excuse that we see right now. We just didn't win the race. There were three horses that got there faster than we did." —a philosophical Larry Jones on Oaks favorite JOYFUL VICTORY (Tapit) finishing fourth "She got me excited about the three-eighths pole like we might get it all. I was thinking, 'here we go!' But from the eighth-pole to the wire she just flattened out on me. She ran a great race." —jockey John Velazquez, who took over riding duties aboard BOUQUET BOOTH (Flower Alley) in the Oaks from an injured Robby Albarado; the dark bay filly finished fifth "Obviously, it was disappointing. I think when she got bumped coming out of the gate I kind of knew we were in trouble because that was sure to make her very aggressive. That's kind of what happened. My hope was that he could kind of sneak away from there and keep her relaxed, but it wasn't to be. The bump was enough to get her very on the muscle. I think Gabriel felt like he had her, but when she got bumped he was in trouble." —conditioner Graham Motion after Oaks pacesetter SUMMER SOIREE (War Front) faded to 10th "We got to the first turn and she acted like she didn't know it was coming and what to do. It was a big jump up for her with the distance and class, but she's a very talented filly. She hasn't been with (trainer) Todd (Pletcher) very long, but she has a future." —Garrett Gomez on his Oaks mount HER SMILE (Include), who ran 11th
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