4/30/08
Last updated: 4/30/08 9:17 PM
<p align="center"><b><i><font face="Arial" size="4">DERBY </font></i></b><i>
</p><p><b><font face="Arial" size="4">THEY SAID IT</font></b></i></p>
</p><p><p align="center"><b><font face="Arial" size="2">APRIL 30, 2008</font></b></p>
</p><p><p>"We put him in the gate and he was very good. He just galloped around there
</p><p>one time and we couldn't be happier with things at this point."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Richard
</p><p>Dutrow on probable Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite BIG BROWN (Boundary), who
</p><p>schooled in the starting gate prior to a light exercise on Wednesday</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"I'm going to breeze him three-eighths after the break and I'd like him to go
</p><p>anywhere between :36 and :37. The track seems pretty fast and he's really
</p><p>smooth, so you don't really know how fast you're going with him. I'd like to
</p><p>nail it on the head if he could. I think that's kind of important for us. I
</p><p>don't want him to go too fast."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Dutrow on Big
</p><p>Brown, who is scheduled to have his final pre-Derby workout under regular
</p><p>exercise rider Michelle Nevin on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. (EDT)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"It's to let him know we're zeroing in. He knows we shipped here. He knows we
</p><p>put him in the gate. We're going to school him in the paddock (on Thursday). He
</p><p>knows we're going to get a little three-eighths. We're rounding everything up to
</p><p>where it's coming to a head. He knows it. He's not stupid."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Dutrow on Big
</p><p>Brown's "wake-up call"</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"It's all good, babe."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Dutrow</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"We came so close last year with Hard Spun. We do think she belongs (in the
</p><p>Derby) and we have a chance to make history. You dream big and I think she fits
</p><p>numbers-wise. Right now, you don't know how good Big Brown is, and no one is
</p><p>sure how good Eight Belles is either."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Larry
</p><p>Jones on Fantasy S. (G2) heroine EIGHT BELLES (Unbridled's Song), who will try
</p><p>to become the fourth filly in history to win the Kentucky Derby</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"I don't know how he's going to behave in front of 160,000 people, but
</p><p>I'm really impressed how well he's done. We just walked the paddock 10 minutes
</p><p>now and he's like an old jumper. He's really switched off."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Graham
</p><p>Motion on ADRIANO (A.P. Indy), who reared up several times in the paddock prior
</p><p>to his ninth-place effort in the February 24 Fountain of Youth S. (G2)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"I've seen the good horses walking in the paddock and they have their heads
</p><p>between their legs, and that's what you want. You can't have a horse walking out
</p><p>there all buzzed up, because they have another 10 minutes on the track to deal
</p><p>with before they run."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Motion, who said
</p><p>Adriano would school in the paddock once more on Thursday afternoon</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"I don't know if they're good enough to win the race, but they're both very
</p><p>nice horses. They've both won a prep. Funny Cide didn't win a prep. He ran in
</p><p>three preps and didn't win any of them. These horses each won a major prep. They
</p><p>certainly stamped their ticket to be here."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Barclay
</p><p>Tagg, who trained 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide, on Tampa Bay Derby (G3)
</p><p>winner BIG TRUCK (Hook and Ladder) and Wood Memorial (G1) winner TALE OF EKATI
</p><p>(Tale of the Cat)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"I noticed pretty early on that he wasn't just a sprinter. Oh, he can run
</p><p>short; he's got natural speed. But I think it was his attitude that made me
</p><p>think he could be a route horse. If you let him, he'd just go stand in the
</p><p>paddock, or out on the track, all day long. He's so mellow. He's a great horse
</p><p>to work with. Most sprinters are wound up tight. They're usually on the muscle
</p><p>and a handful to deal with. But not him. He's not that way at all. He's very
</p><p>professional."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer James
</p><p>Kasparoff on Sunshine Millions Dash winner BOB BLACK JACK (Stormy Jack), who
</p><p>most recently finished a close second in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby (G1)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"My part is nearing the finish. He's as good as he can be for this and
</p><p>he's coming up to it as well as we could have wanted. On Saturday, I won't give
</p><p>(jockey) Mike Smith any instructions. That's the nice part of having a rider
</p><p>like him. He knows the horse and he knows what to do. When the race comes, I
</p><p>just say: 'Mike, I've done my job, now you go do yours.'"</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Paulo
</p><p>Lobo on Arkansas Derby (G2) winner GAYEGO (Gilded Time)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"The last couple of days he's been just spectacular. He's gotten just a tad
</p><p>bit better every day the last few days. When you come here with a longshot,
</p><p>there's no pressure. I'm a longshot. Put two dollars on me. I'll be 50-to-1 --
</p><p>you'll get your two dollars' worth."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Louie
</p><p>Roussel III on Illinois Derby (G2) winner RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p><p>"He's coming into the race the right way, and we'll find out if he's good
</p><p>enough. He's a horse that comes from off the pace. Hopefully they'll be enough
</p><p>pace in the race and horses will be coming back. We just hope he can get a mile
</p><p>and a quarter and he can pick the pieces up at the end of the race."</p>
</p><p><p align="right"><font size="2" face="Arial"><em><strong>Trainer Michael
</p><p>Matz, who trained 2006 Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro, on Gotham S. (G3) winner
</p><p>VISIONAIRE (Grand Slam)</strong></em></font></p>
</p><p></div></body></p>
