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BREEDERS' CUP THEY SAID IT

OCTOBER 23, 2008

Duke of Marmalade is seeking his sixth Group/Grade 1 score of the year (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) "These two colts are as good colts as we've ever had. They have tough constitutions. They both handle fast ground. Obviously, The Duke stays very well. We're not sure about Henry, but he looks like he could get a mile-and-a-quarter. I don't think we've had two better colts than those. But they've raced hard all season and they haven't missed a dance and they haven't sidestepped a race. I don't think we've probably ever had two better colts as racehorses. Look at their records, both of them. They've run in Group 1 after Group 1 after Group 1. I couldn't say, we've had two horses with constitutions and ability better than those." —trainer Aidan O'Brien lauds his Classic (G1) hopes, DUKE OF MARMALADE (Ire) (Danehill) and HENRYTHENAVIGATOR (Kingmambo)

"He's in good form and the minute Johnny (Murtagh) came in after the Arc he said he pulled up real good. Always, the lad's first impressions are what you like to hear. He was very happy. He didn't come in for one minute and say he was gone or down. If he did, you'd be worried. He said he never really got into top gear."

—O'Brien is not concerned about The Duke's subpar seventh in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1)

Henrythenavigator is untested at 10 furlongs (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) "We always try to do what we think is the right thing for the horses and the system. We felt that he didn't have anything to prove by running in the Mile. Obviously, the Classic catches everyone's imagination. We're just trying to expose him a little bit more, like we'll find out if he gets a mile and a quarter. We know he gets a mile. Listen, if we wanted to be safe and not to explore him, we'd have stuck to the Mile and he probably would have been a short-priced favorite. It's exciting to see what's going to happen. We're going into the unknown a little bit and he seems to be in good form." —O'Brien explains the reasoning for pitching Henry into the 1 1/4-mile Classic on synthetic rather than the Mile (G1) on turf

"You have the best from four countries meeting for the belt (championship). The surface (Pro-Ride) makes for a level playing field (for Americans and Europeans) -- somewhere between turf and dirt. The Europeans are not used to kickback, but there doesn't seem to be much on this track. Overall, I'm very impressed with it so far."

—trainer John Gosden, who will saddle RAVEN'S PASS (Elusive Quality) in the Classic, on the Pro-Ride

"He'll stay a mile-and-an-eighth. If you've ever walked the old mile at Ascot, you just climb and climb and climb and climb. It's a really stiff mile up that hill at Ascot. He did that mile comfortably. He'll get a-mile-and-an-eighth. The last eighth I can't tell you about. There is only one way to do it, and that's to race. You can't rehearse that kind of thing at home. He's got a lot of tough old blood, tough two-turn horses on the dam's side. He should be able to stay it, but his father (Elusive Quality) was a miler. His father was a very fast miler and I always have that in mind. If the last eighth of a mile proves too far, that's life. At least we're brave and tried."

—Gosden analyzes Raven's chances of staying 1 1/4 miles

Turf campaigner Champs Elysees will switch surfaces for the Classic (Benoit Photo) "He is still fresh after the five-furlong work here yesterday and happy. He's calm, relaxed, very professional and experienced with travel. He is very elegant in the way he behaves. He has only raced three times and his biggest win was a Group 2 against three-year-olds. He faces the champion (Curlin) and several Group 1 winners. But on the good side, he is still fresh and hasn't had too many hard races. We believe in his potential and ability." —racing manager Nobutaka Tada on unbeaten Peter Pan S. (G2) winner CASINO DRIVE's (Mineshaft) biggest test in the Classic "He likes this track; there's no doubt about that. He trains good here. He strides right out. He lowers his body and really stretches out. I know that Curlin has a long stride, but I think this horse reaches longer. I tried to train him in New York on the dirt and he wouldn't go faster than 1:03 (for five furlongs). But he handles the main here just fine." —trainer Bobby Frankel on how much Classic contender CHAMPS ELYSEES (GB) (Danehill) enjoys the Pro-Ride

"I would not have entered him if I did not believe with all of my heart and soul that this horse has the ability to run with these horses."

—trainer Eoin Harty describes his confidence in Classic hopeful COLONEL JOHN (Tiznow)

"I think between conformation and pedigree and the way they move, I think those are all indicators that they'll like the synthetics. I think for a real good turf horse there might be a tendency to like it or be able to adapt to it, but I think it's an individual thing. It's trial and error. It's just one more thing on the list you've got to check off when you go through the process of  trying to find out what these horses want to do best."

—trainer Bill Mott on how one might identify a horse who will handle the synthetics

"A monster. He's really strong. He likes the synthetic surfaces and we expect a big race."

—exercise rider Carlos Rosas on Classic entrant STUDENT COUNCIL (Kingmambo)

"One of the things I do remember was when they were loading her into the gate, (announcer) Tom Durkin said, 'She's going into the gate and history could be made today.' I said, 'Oh, boy, why did you say that?"

—trainer Shug McGaughey reminisces about the undefeated Personal Ensign, who capped her career with a dramatic victory in the 1988 Distaff (G1)

"People study races like this for weeks. I leave that to Nick (Hines, racing manager for Southern Equine). I usually don't even look at them (the past performances) until 20 minutes before, when we're in the paddock."

—trainer Eric Guillot, who will send out SANTA TERESITA (Lemon Drop Kid) in the Ladies Classic (G1), formerly known as the Distaff

Indian Blessing will try to become the first horse ever to win two different Breeders' Cup races (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com) "A win! Just give her her head, and let her do the rest." —trainer Bob Baffert defines what he wants to see from INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) in the Filly & Mare Sprint "We also noticed that she had stopped sweating. We put her on various kinds of supplements, one of which is a pint of Guinness in her feed. I have noticed that people who drink a lot of beer seem to perspire quite heavily."   —trainer Jonathan Sheppard reveals the dietary secrets of Filly & Mare Turf (G1) threat FOREVER TOGETHER (Belong to Me)

"She is a very good filly. She's a Group 1 level all the way. So you'd imagine that she has a big chance. She's a hardy, honest filly and seems to be fine. Her coat has changed a little bit, which most do at that this time of the year, but she seems to be fine."

—O'Brien on his Filly & Mare Turf contender HALFWAY TO HEAVEN (Ire) (Pivotal)

"One day the light bulb came on. She started learning what it's all about, and has been good ever since. She looks good and has been eating well. The turns may be a little tight for her and the worst part is the post (10), but we have a mile-and-a-quarter to make it up."

—trainer Bob Holthus on Filly & Mare Turf entrant PURE CLAN (Pure Prize)

"I'm happy with the way he's coming up to the race. He's been acting OK on the surface here. As for the distance, I believe he'll stay. He acts like he wants to go farther."

—trainer David Wachman on multiple Group 1 star BUSHRANGER (Ire) (Danetime), who will make his two-turn and synthetic bow in the Juvenile (G1)

"I'm sure he'll be a big price, and being from Emerald Downs he might not get much respect. I think there will be a whole bunch of 9-2's and a whole bunch of 15-1's. I don't see a big favorite in the field. Square Eddie and Munnings look good, but we think he (Gallant Son) deserves a shot."

—trainer Frank Lucarelli on the once-beaten juvenile GALLANT SON (Malabar Gold), who has won four straight at Emerald Downs

"My take on synthetic surfaces is that you never know until you run over it. I've had a lot of horses work really well on it and not perform well, so until you run on it, you can't be sure. I think we'll have a clue early simply by the way they're traveling. If Munnings isn't in the thick of it early, that would be a negative sign. The plan is to let him run out of there and get position. Silent Valor has a race over it, which should help him."

—Pletcher discusses his Juvenile hopes, morning-line favorite MUNNINGS (Speightstown) and SILENT VALOR (Lion Heart)

"Training on dirt, you know exactly where you are going into a race. Synthetics? They all seem to train well over it but they don't all run well. So, it's a question mark."

— Pletcher on the vagaries of synthetics

"This track is so fast, and if the heat comes it'll get faster. They might run (six furlongs) down there in six (1:06) and change. The thing is they don't know how to slow it down right now. If they put water in it, it compacts it and makes it harder. It winds up like adobe. I don't think that First Defence will run in six, but someone might."

—Frankel on the potential for a blazing final time in the Sprint (G1), in which he'll saddle FIRST DEFENCE (Unbridled's Song)

Better Talk Now is the elder statesman of the Turf (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) "We've said the last three years coming into the race that this could be the last one. It's unlikely that he'll be in the Breeders' Cup at 10, but have we laid out a schedule for retiring him? No." —trainer Graham Motion on nine-year-old veteran BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man), who will be contesting his fifth straight Turf (G1) "I think he deserves to run on hard turf. Back in the spring and early summer, I thought he was the best distance horse in country. I got unlucky and caught soft turf at Saratoga and (jockey Rene) Douglas came back and said, 'Throw it out; he never ran a jump; he didn't like it at all.' And then I made a mistake by running him in the Turf Classic (G1). He's a true mile-and-a-half horse. He'll turn off in his race and when you ask him to run, he picks it up. I think he's got a legitimate chance." —McGaughey on Turf entrant DANCING FOREVER (Rahy)

"He's matured. I think the time off, sometimes it's just a blessing in disguise. During the time off, he's certainly grown into a stronger, more mature horse. He's a very bold horse, as well. Albeit, he's a small horse, he's exceptionally bold. He fears nothing. I'm quite confident of a big effort on Saturday.

—trainer Mike de Kock on Turf contender EAGLE MOUNTAIN (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire])

Dancing Forever will get the firm turf he loves at Santa Anita (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com) "Expectations are high, but we're realistic. What he went through this summer with the hock (left hind) and the infection put us behind the eight-ball and trying to make up for lost time. Going into this race without a prep is certainly not the way we would have laid it out, but it was the hand that was dealt us. The great thing is the way he's responded. We've had to turn up the pressure training and he's responded to it well. We got in as much work as we could in the time we were given." —trainer Mark Hennig on RED ROCKS (Ire) (Galileo [Ire]), who will be trying to win the Turf off a 105-day layoff

"He's one of those horses that ground doesn't affect him. He's equally as good on soft ground as he is on fast ground because he's very natural. He has very big lungs and he keeps pushing himself forward, whether it's soft or fast because he tries very hard. A lot of horses who haven't got soft ground action, when they run on it, they quit. He's not like that, he tries very hard. "He's a very good moving horse. When you see him cantering, he doesn't bend his knee much, he's very fluid. It would definitely suggest that he should have no problem with fast ground. We've always thought that. "He's a horse that stays very well at a very high cruising pace. He's a very high quality horse."

—O'Brien on SOLDIER OF FORTUNE (Ire) (Galileo [Ire]), the morning-line favorite in the Turf

Soldier of Fortune brings formidable credentials into the Turf (Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) "It took a little salesmanship. That horse, I thought belonged for a number of reasons. Yet when I said to John Hendrickson (husband of owner Marylou Whitney) that I wanted to run that horse in the Breeders' Cup, he asked me if I thought we really belonged? Finally they said take him if you like, but they're not even coming out." —trainer Wayne Lukas on his efforts to convince the connections of NINTH CLIENT (Malibu Moon) to run him in the Juvenile Turf "She's very attractive, but she's not Winning Colors. We're changing surfaces again. But she's talented. If it isn't going to be Friday, it's going to be down the road if she stays healthy." —Lukas is optimistic about the future in store for Juvenile Fillies (G1) entrant BE SMART (Smarty Jones)

"She had a lot better day today than she has had. She didn't look around too much and she seemed to get over the track. I let her pick it up a little bit to see. Since she got out here, she just didn't seem to be in the game. She was watching the gap some. But today, I think she was a lot better. She got over the track better. I'm going to be really interested to see her grow up and fill into herself over the winter, because she's so tall. Hopefully, she'll be a two-turn (Kentucky) Oaks (G1) kind of filly next year. But I'm not throwing out (her chances) here, either."

—McGaughey also thinks the best is yet to come for his Juvenile Fillies hope, PERSISTENTLY (Smoke Glacken)

"I played golf with Jackie Gleason, Rocky Marciano and Whitey Ford. And I was a good friend with J. Edgar Hoover."

—trainer Pete Anderson, who will send out DELIGHTFUL KISS (Kissin Kris) in the Marathon, mentions some pretty impressive connections from his past

"I'm a one horse stable. I had a big stable last year -- two."

—Anderson keeps it real

Delightful Kiss is one of two Ohio Derby heroes in the Breeders' Cup, along with 2008 winner Smooth Air (Michael J. Marten/Horsephotos.com) "If you look at the race on paper, it looks an ideal fit for the horse. I'm happy with the surface that I've seen. It's very similar, I believe, to what we race on at Lingfield and Kempton at home. I've never had too much problem with turf horses going on to that surface at home. The majority of the training of his life has been on the Polytrack. I feel it's a similar surface, so he should be comfortable." —trainer Jeremy Noseda on morning-line Marathon favorite SIXTIES ICON (GB) (Galileo [Ire]), who has yet to race on a synthetic surface "She's got a good turn of foot. I think the race will set up well, but she's going to need a lot of luck in running and she's going to need some splits to happen for her in the crucial stages. The way the race sets up is good, but we're just going to need some luck on the day. I think the hillside course actually makes it maybe even more of an issue. It's a great track to race on. I think it's a great track for people to watch a race on, but in this race, a competitive sprint, it's going to require a lot of luck in running. We'll keep our fingers crossed and hope that someone upstairs is looking down on us at the quarter-pole." —Noseda is seeking heavenly help to ensure that FLEETING SPIRIT (Ire) (Invincible Spirit) gets a good trip in the Turf Sprint

"After talking to some people, we're actually pretty happy about it (the post). With the way the (downhill) course is set up, we go short right first, which should allow us a chance to avoid a traffic jam and get to a forward position. When we turn back left, hopefully we're the one they have to come and get."

—trainer Bret Calhoun on the streaking MR. NIGHTLINGER (Indian Charlie), who has drawn post 14 in the Turf Sprint

"It was something we always wanted to do, but there was never a good time to do it. When she first ran at Del Mar she was very green, shying away from the grandstand. We felt like it cost her the race, but I was leery about putting them on the next time because, she was so sharp in the race. When she ran the other day, when she won the Cal Cup (Juvenile Fillies) race, Garrett (Gomez) said she was much better but still a little green. She propped a bit at the wire, so we felt we should do it." 

—Motion on why he is equipping SAUCEY EVENING (More Than Ready) with blinkers for the Juvenile Fillies Turf

More They Said It:

Breeders' Cup Saturday They Said It

Breeders' Cup Friday They Said It

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Travers TSI

Firecracker & Bashford Manor TSI

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