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DERBY THEY SAID IT MAY 7, 2011 "I've been talking all week that when a race is packed with speed, people often end up taking back and not wanting to go. We thought it might play out like it did. He fought. He tried to fight down the lane. I'm very proud of him. I'm not saying we can't run a mile and a quarter some time, because we ran a mile and a quarter today faster than all but three horses. I'd love to go to the Preakness. We'll talk to the owners." —trainer Dale Romans on the pacesetter SHACKLEFORD (Forestry), who stayed on gamely for fourth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) "It was an easier pace than some expected, but we were willing to take it. He led on his own and ran really, really big. I rode him a little bit away from the gate and he did the rest on his own. When they came to me, he picked it up really nice and gave me a good run down the stretch. I'm very happy with his run and he's improving, this horse. He'll be better and better down the road." —jockey Jesus Castanon on Shackleford "It was a great race for his first time on dirt. We're delighted." —trainer Aidan O'Brien on Irish shipper MASTER OF HOUNDS (Kingmambo), a late-running fifth in the Derby "It was a great run for his first time on dirt. We had a really good trip. Who would have thought they would slow it down to :48 and change? Down the backstretch they threw the airbrakes on and it cost us. We were at the mercy of the pace. He ran sensationally through the dirt. I'm looking forward to riding him in the Belmont S. (G1)." —jockey Garrett Gomez was pleased with Master of Hounds "He had a decent trip and didn't get beat that far. Shaun (Bridgmohan) was happy. He tried hard, so no real excuses." —trainer Eddie Kenneally on sixth-placer SANTIVA (Giant's Causeway) "He's come back fine so far. He's in a good shape. He ran good." —trainer Tom Albertrani on BRILLIANT SPEED (Dynaformer), who finished seventh "He was in the back of the pack. He was dead last and they just never came back. They went 1:13 and never came back." —trainer Nick Zito laments the slow early pace that compromised the deep-closing DIALED IN (Mineshaft), the 5-1 favorite who rallied belatedly for eighth "He had a good trip. It went the way we planned it in the back, but they didn't back up to us today." —jockey Julien Leparoux on Dialed In "He never stopped running. He never stopped trying." —trainer Kelly Breen on the persistence of ninth-place finisher PANTS ON FIRE (Jump Start) "I couldn't have wished for a better trip. We had to adjust minimally into the first turn but we were in a good spot and he ran so well. He galloped out past them. I think the best feeling was when I just kind of tapped him to see what I had about the 4 1/2 and I angled him out to the outside and I had some left and I was like, 'Oh boy, I wonder where we're going from here.'" —jockey Rosie Napravnik had no complaints about Pants on Fire "We wound up splitting them. We broke pretty good, lay on the fence, came out for a run and then just couldn't get there. It wasn't our day." —trainer Jeff Bonde on TWICE THE APPEAL (Successful Appeal), who placed 10th "No excuses. He tried. He gave me a little spurt, but it wasn't to be." —three-time Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel didn't get much response from Twice the Appeal "He came back from the race in good shape -- he just was flat the last part. Congratulations to the winners, John Velazquez and Graham Motion, who are great people and very deserving. We'll fly out Monday and head back to New York." —trainer Kiaran McLaughlin felt that SOLDAT (War Front) was flat en route to checking in 11th "I thought we had a real good trip. He just didn't have that big punch. We didn't have any visible excuses." —trainer Todd Pletcher couldn't pinpoint a reason for STAY THIRSTY's (Bernardini) 12th-place effort "Our two just got outrun from what I could see. Not our day." —trainer Mike Maker on his duo of DERBY KITTEN (Kitten's Joy) and TWINSPIRED (Harlan's Holiday), the respective 13th and 17th "I was in a good spot most of the way and had a good trip. My horse's style is to race from far back and that's where we were early. My horse didn't handle the dirt and he's probably better on turf or Polytrack." —jockey Javier Castellano believes that Derby Kitten is a turf or synthetic performer at heart "I'm very pleased. We had to change the way he runs, but there's nothing we can do about it." —trainer Juan Arias on DECISIVE MOMENT (With Distinction), who tired to 14th "He broke well but then he got pinched back and after that he never got to running. Victor (Espinoza) said he was out of horse early. Just one of those things. It wasn't his day, maybe the inexperience and the big crowd got to him." —trainer Bob Baffert on 16th-place finisher MIDNIGHT INTERLUDE (War Chant) "He come out of the gate good, but he just didn't have enough. By the five-eighths pole I had no horse. I had a good trip actually but I was surprised I didn't have enough. He got a little bit warm before we went into gate, the crowd noise might have bothered him a bit but we had no excuse." —jockey Victor Espinoza on Midnight Interlude "When the 19 (Nehro) broke out, we should have been able to save ground but instead we went up there on the outside. It's unfortunate, but we'll live to fight another day. Look what happened to Archarcharch. My hearts bleeds for him (trainer Jinks Fires). —Kathleen O'Connell, the trainer of 18th-placer WATCH ME GO (West Acre), feels for the connections of the injured Archarcharch
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