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KENTUCKY DERBY THEY SAID IT MAY 4, 2013 "Well, the way it's going to change my life is I'm not going to have to worry about it anymore, because I've worried about it for a while. And I might not let anybody know that, but inside that thought was always there. Like I said, it's a huge thrill for me. I appreciate all the people who were pulling for us over the last -- especially the last month or something since the Florida Derby, and we decided to come here. You know, the people that are behind me at the barn and stuff is where the real thrill is, and my hat's off to them." —Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who earned his first Kentucky Derby victory when Orb pulled out the win on Saturday in the 139th Run for the Roses "I'm a little emotional. You know, this is just a great huge thrill for me, to be able to even participate. Ever since I've been over here, I'm just thankful to have had the opportunity to have a chance to win and to be able to go over there and win and to be able to sit back and watch how much Mr. Phipps came to Payson Park on the Monday before the Florida Derby to watch Orb work. Stuart was there two or three times over the winter, but to see the kids at the barn and how much fun they were having and how well they were participating in this together, you know, that was what was so much fun for me. I would get up and drive to Payson Park when he was going to work or even Sunday morning after the Florida Derby, just had things to do up there, but I also wanted to see him and how he came out of the race and all that kind of stuff. "But it's just been -- this whole trip has been just something that's been different for me. I don't know, maybe the last five or six weeks has been about as exciting a five or six weeks as I've had, and to come over here the last 12 days and experience what we've experienced, from the fans and from the people to see this horse thrive the way that he's thrived and to get to this afternoon, to come over here today and hear the fans and then to see the horse run the race he rode, it's just something I can't really put into words. "Maybe one day when I settle down I'll be able to put it into words, but right now I can't." —McGaughey "I still think there's something there. I think there's more there. I don't think we've bottomed out. I think he's still learning how to run a little bit. All winter we saw that same thing. He would make the lead like he would go off and would kind of ease himself out. His allowance race, Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby, and even today when he made the lead kind of thing, (jockey) Joel (Rosario) did the right thing by sort of letting him drift out a little bit to see that horse come, and then he went on and finished. "But I've seen some things that make me think that there is more there. What he was doing in Florida he was doing against a huge bias, and Gulfstream is such a speed-favoring track, and for him to be able to win there on that track, even though he was training as good as a horse could train, when I ran him in the allowance race on January 28th I didn't know whether he could win or not, just because of the speed bias of the track. And then we come to the Fountain of Youth and we catch really a fast pace, which a lot of times at Gulfstream those horses will carry, and we were able to beat a nice horse in Violence and come back in the Florida Derby and catch no speed, where we had to put him in the race, when he pushed the button, he was there, in fact he got there so quick that he kind of throttled him back because he didn't want to make the lead that much, and then to see what I saw today was just -- was something different, and I think that -- I think we've got our hands on a pretty special horse." —McGaughey on the possibility of Orb progressing as Triple Crown season continues "To be young, energetic, very ambitious young rider like Joel is, and to see the race he rode today, a race like this with maybe not quite as much experience as some of the others, it just shows you what he is." —McGaughey praising jockey Joel Rosario "Well, basically it's the way I do it, and that's the way I'm comfortable doing it. I do a lot from watch and feel. I'm not a vacation guy. I like to be at the barn, and that's where I'm comfortable, and that's where I want to be, and that's the way I sort of monitor things. I like to watch the horses train, and if I don't feel like they're doing things exactly the way I want them to do, then I basically don't run them. "And I also do know, because of the experience that I've had in watching, is that sometimes if you force a horse into a race and you make a mistake, it's a big mistake, and I've also seen, just like with Point of Entry, having to scratch him today, when we run him back the next time, all that'll be forgotten. Even though I was disappointed we had to, I know we did the right thing. But there's always another race. There's always a race down the road. You don't have to make one at the expense of others, and that's what I try to base myself on. "That's the way -- kind of the way I learned, and through mentors and through watching and learning myself. And I'm lucky I've got people that are patient with me and don't try to, for lack of a better word, interfere, and give me the leniency to do what I want with them without any interference whatsoever. "When we talk about the horses or racing stuff, we have a discussion, and that's the extent of it. I mean, when Mr. Phipps called me yesterday and was talking about the rain and Point of Entry, I said, well, I'll have a little time after one race to come talk to you. He said, you don't have to come talk to me; it's your call. And that's the way it is." —McGaughey on his training philosophy of 'letting the horse take you there' "Well, obviously these are very, very important races, and the Preakness is important to me. I grew up around it, went there all the time. So if he's -- if Orb is doing well, comes out, as Shug says, then obviously that's the next stop. So that's great as far as I'm concerned. We thought years ago that we had Coronado's Quest all geared to go to Baltimore, and unfortunately a day beforehand he decided he wanted to be lame for about six hours. So I think if Orb is right, then we'll probably be there." —Stuart Janney III, co-owner of Orb, commenting on his colt heading to his own native Baltimore, Maryland, for the Preakness next "This race is really special. You can see all these people, I mean, it's something really unbelievable to see. Like right now I feel like I win the Kentucky Derby, it's like a dream. I feel so good right now, I can't explain to you how I feel." —jockey Joel Rosario after winning Derby 139 aboard Orb "We got beat by a great horse. He ran terrific. I'm so proud of Robby (Albarado). He vindicated himself. He's just a great rider and gave this horse a great ride. And (owner) Chuck Fipke, what can I say? One of the best ever.'' —trainer Dallas Stewart on Golden Soul, who outperformed his 34-1 odds to finish best of the rest behind Orb "I thought I had a great chance turning for home. I saw Orb up there. I'm just thankful for the opportunity. It's amazing to get the opportunity. It was stop and go. I was comfortable with the pace. Stop and go just a couple times. I got a great inside trip. I got him out. He came running.'' —jockey Robby Albarado on his view aboard Golden Soul "I thought he ran super. He got shuffled back farther than we thought and he had to keep waiting to try to make up ground. But when he could start running, he did really well. He closed strongly and just ran out of ground." —trainer Todd Pletcher on Revolutionary, who fared best of his five starters in third "The only thing I was I could have done on the far turn was creep up closer on him. Turning for home, I still thought we had a shot to win but he gave me a good turn of foot." —newly-announced Hall of Fame rider Calvin Borel on his trip with Revolutionary "I was in midpack. That's what I was looking for. The pace was very fast. I was mi-pack and saved all the ground in the first turn. As I figured out my trip, I was keeping track of Verrazano. I had a beautiful trip today. I was very excited turning for home. I thought I was going to win the race. But at the eighth-pole my horse didn't respond. I didn't have it today." —jockey Javier Castellano got his hopes up, but Normandy Invasion tired to fourth late "Coming into the stretch, I had a big smile on my face. I'm going to win my fourth (Derby). But five strides later, I was attacked from the outside for a couple strides, and they went on. He was brave. He never gave it up at all. He ran all the way to the finish line and galloped back proud, and I'm proud of him.'' —Hall of Fame comebacker Gary Stevens on Oxbow, who kept on for sixth after chasing the frantic pace "I've got a smile on my face I can't wipe off. It was fun. It was fun, because he ran his race. He got a chance today, and he fired a big bullet, and that's when it's fun, when you get a good trip in this race and the horse is giving his all. And he did.'' —the un-retired Stevens on the experience of riding in the Derby for the first time in eight years "He ran a great race. I suppose the first furlong he was just trying to come to terms with it. Everything was happening very quick for him. He broke well, just getting away the first furlong. Ryan (Moore) said the kickback was hard on him. Then he started to knuckle down and he seen what was happening and he ran a brave race. We're very happy with him." —Traveling head lad T.J. Comerford on Irish shipper Lines of Battle's seventh-place effort "I'd have to say what it was like was a lot of fun, without a doubt. I had a good break, ground-saving first turn, the transition was smooth. I think adequate to where we'd be able to make that big close. We started to engage turning for home, then he kind of started coming back and tailing. He was still picking up tired horses, but he didn't have that big kick, turn of foot, and I just started maneuvering through horses that were stopping in front of me." —jockey Jon Court on his passage aboard Will Take Charge in eighth "He broke good and I was able to get right in and I was saving ground the first turn. We went by horses on the backside beautifully and in the second turn, same thing, I was able to save ground. At the quarter-pole I didn't have any kick left and he stayed steady. I was glad with the way he ran. I wish we could have run better." —Edgar Prado on his ride aboard Charming Kitten, who wound up ninth "Considering this was his first time on dirt, I thought he ran very courageously. He tried hard and Edgar (Prado) told me he just started spinning his wheels in the last part of it." —Pletcher on Charming Kitten "He ran great. He ran hard. He's tired and rightfully so. He ran a great race. We're pleased with him." —assistant trainer Ray Handal on 10th-placer Giant Finish "He didn't handle the track very well. I had great position all the way around but he just wasn't getting a hold of the track. " —jockey Jose Espinoza on Giant Finish "I was going good, then I got hit and bumped at the half-mile (pole). It threw him off. Then we got going again and he came running in the stretch. But it was too late." —jockey Rafael Bejarano on Overanalyze's performance in 11th "I had a hard time trying to follow his trip. He appeared to have a bit of trouble, but he was trying to run on at the end." —Pletcher on Overanalyze "He just was too aggressive. Those blinkers. He just wanted to go and I didn't have much choice." —Hall of Famer Mike Smith on Palace Malice, who tore off unexpectedly through fast fractions before folding to 12th "He just went too fast early. They went too fast with him and he couldn't keep up." —Pletcher on Palace Malice "As expected we were in the back. But after that I found the winner on the backside and followed him and made a run with him, but just couldn't do it." —jockey Julien Leparoux on Java's War, who was slow to break and raced in last early "We had a good trip. I just don't think he liked the track. He was already in trouble on the first turn when he was trying to get a hold of the track. He was kicking a lot and overworking to keep up." —Hall of Famer John Velazquez on Verrazano, who was prominent early but retreated to 14th "He just never got the kind of trip we hoped for. That fast pace was just no good for him. And he was the one -- of all our horses -- who was affected most by the racetrack. He just couldn't handle it." —Pletcher on Verrazano "(Jockey) Elvis (Trujillo) said he didn't like the track. It was something I was concerned about, but we were all running on the same track." —trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. on Itsmyluckyday, 15th across the Derby wire "We had a good time out there. We had fun. He broke good and everything. We had a clear break to the first turn but by the three-quarter pole I just didn't have anything." —jockey Victor Lebron on 16th-placer Frac Daddy "Both colts tried hard. No major excuses here at Barn 6. Congrats to Shug and his staff. Well deserved for Phipps and Janney families." —trainer Ken McPeek (via Twitter) on Java's War and Frac Daddy "I was comfortable where I was. I didn't want to be up there with that :22 and :45 business. He just didn't get there." —jockey Kevin Krigger on Goldencents, who was eased back in 17th "They went really fast early and I thought Kevin (Krigger) gave a great ride. He settled into a good spot and for some reason he didn't fire today. They aren't machines, so you never know. He came back in good shape and we are all bummed but this horse has been so great." —trainer Doug O'Neill on Goldencents "He broke in (toward the infield) on me. I think he was ducking from the crowd. He was all wound up; I couldn't get him to settle. I tried to stay back, but he had to go. I let him out a bit in order to try to let him even out, but it didn't work." —jockey Garrett Gomez on Vyjack, another who was forward early and tired to 18th "The rider (Gomez) told me that he ran right off on him. Once he did that, he didn't have any chance." —trainer Rudy Rodriguez on Vyjack "My trip was good, he broke good and had good position. He got tired." —jockey Luis Saez on the trailing Falling Sky "He didn't handle the track. He's OK; he's cooling out good." —trainer John Terranova on Falling Sky
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