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BREEDERS' CUP THEY SAID IT OCTOBER 24, 2007 "This is the first year, I guess, that the top three finishers in the (Kentucky) Derby are running back in the Classic and then you have the older horse, Lawyer Ron, who is the (morning line) favorite. This is a very good year, everybody's still around, still in the game." —trainer Steve Asmussen on the quality of this year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1), which includes his trainee CURLIN (Smart Strike) "What surprises me is that it has been a good two-year-old crop and a good three-year-old crop. They just stayed. You look back and they beat each other and they beat each other, but none of them really threw in a bad race. That is what makes them so good. It is not like they were winning and when they hit the older horses, they caved in. They just kept coming. And the other thing about this crop is they have been setting track records. This colt has been right on the edge of a track record every time. It has just made it a heck of a crop." —trainer Carl Nafzger on how well the top Classic contenders have performed this year; the horseman will saddle Kentucky Derby (G1) and Travers (G1) winner STREET SENSE (Street Cry [Ire]) in the Classic "There he is. It is just like seeing a bear or an elk in Yellowstone. He is standing there like 'Here I am!'" —Nafzger on catching sight of Curlin "I've told people that Street Sense was playing in the World Series at this time last year and we were playing tee-ball. We had to make up a lot of ground to even make the Derby. He's gotten bigger and stronger since then. We're happy with him. He's shown a lot of maturity in his last two races. Up until the Derby, he never knew what it was like to have horses pass him. He's mentally on his game and he's learning to relax early in his races. He finished up well in the Derby and the fact that he held on, while the other front runners were last and second to last shows he won't have any trouble with the distance." —conditioner Larry Jones on how much King's Bishop (G1) hero HARD SPUN (Danzig) has matured since the beginning of the year "She made me train her. She was so full of herself that we couldn't walk her. It's very busy here and that gets her charged up a bit. She likes it more quiet and serene." —conditioner David Hofmans on galloping multiple Grade 1 heroine BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) instead of just walking her in advance of the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) "I have to keep my mind focused on my own horse as to what she does best. It is like the Super Bowl. If you have a passing team, you don't suddenly switch to becoming a running team. That throws your whole year off." —Nafzger on trying to analyze the Distaff, where charge LADY JOANNE (Orientate) will take on 11 other rivals "He has such a big heart. When he doesn't win, it's not due to a lack of trying or a bad effort. It's because of the circumstances or because he was beaten by a better horse on that day." —trainer Graham Motion on 2004 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) winner BETTER TALK NOW (Talkin Man) making his fourth start in the championship race "(English Channel is) the best horse in America. But you have Red Rocks (Ire), who won it last year, and the old horse, Better Talk Now. He's won the Breeders' Cup and was second last year, so you have to respect them all. They wouldn't be showing up on Breeders' Cup Day if they didn't think they had a shot." —jockey Johnny Murtagh, who will ride DYLAN THOMAS (Ire) (Danehill) in the Turf, on his rivals in the race "You know, usually you go through a field (when handicapping a race) and say, 'throw out, throw out.' When they get to us they'll say, 'Ah ha, this one has a possibility.' I think everybody knows we're probably going to be there." —trainer Robert Ribaduo on Sword Dancer Invitational S. (G1) hero GRAND COUTURIER's (GB) (Grand Lodge) chances in the Turf "They're both light on experience, but very capable and very talented. They both just have it. I don't think I've ever met a more precocious 17-year-old (as Talamo). He just has a very natural ability with a horse." —conditioner Carla Gaines on undefeated NASHOBA'S KEY (Silver Hawk) and jockey Joe Talamo going in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1); Talamo seeks to become the youngest rider to win a Breeders' Cup race "We never really had the Breeders' Cup in mind at the start of the year. But it was in the back of our minds when he won the Sunshine Millions and beat Bordonaro, one of the top sprinters in training. When he won the sprint at Bay Meadows and the Potrero Grande (G2) at Santa Anita, I told (owner) Mr. (Harry) Aleo that we have a legitimate horse (for the Breeders' Cup)." —trainer Greg Gilchrist on Grade 2 hero and 7-2 morning-line second choice SMOKEY STOVER (Put It Back) going in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) "Our plan was to try not to dance every dance and to try to come with a fresh horse. We picked out the Smile Sprint ([G2] at Calder) and he did good to be third, because he didn't handle the surface and he came out of that race with a lung infection. Then, we had the choice between the Forego (G1) on September 1 or the race here (the Icecapade on the same day), and it was obvious that this one was the easier of the two. It also gave us the chance to get a race over the surface and become familiar with the surroundings. I think he has a legitimate chance to win or else we wouldn't be here." —Gilchrist on Smokey Stover's route to the Sprint "He has a loud sound, almost a bark, that goes with his exhale. Horses make all sorts of sounds. You've got to learn the good ones from the bad ones." —conditioner John Shirreffs on his Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) contender AFTER MARKET (Storm Cat) "I know the Wygods had to evacuate their home. And they had to evacuate their horses to the Fairgrounds at Del Mar (where Del Mar racetrack is located). I heard they might have had to evacuate the horses from there then, too. But as far as I know, it hasn't interrupted their plans to be here for the races on the weekend. They're still coming." —Shirreffs on After Market's owners, Martin and Pam Wygod, who live on a ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, California, in an area currently in distress due to raging wild fires "Originally, Mr. (James) Scatuorchio purchased him to insure a strong pace for English Channel in his races. But he's become a good horse on his own and he has earned a chance in the Mile." —trainer Todd Pletcher on ICY ATLANTIC (Stormy Atlantic) graduating from rabbit duties to a shot in the Mile "After I decided to breed (Kirsteena) to Dynaformer, I was reading the Bible and I came upon the word 'purim,' which means cast the lot or roll the dice (in Hebrew). Thinking about racing, I liked that word because that's what you do. Being here with him is the reason I got into racing. I always wanted to have a horse good enough to be in the Kentucky Derby or Breeders' Cup. Now, after all of these years, I've finally got one good enough to be in one of them." —owner/breeder E.J. Sukley on Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) hero PURIM (Dynaformer) "You can't describe the feeling of winning a Breeders' Cup race. It sure would be good to do it one more time. But I'd be more happy for E.J. (Sukley). (He's) a very classy individual and he's having a lot of fun with this horse." —trainer Tom Proctor, who earned his only Breeders' Cup win with One Dreamer in the 1994 Distaff, on his hopes for Purim's owner "He looks like a combination of his sire and dam. He's more leggy like (his dam) Phone Chatter, with the prettiness of Dixie Union. He was a pretty, fast horse." —trainer Richard Mandella on Juvenile contender DIXIE CHATTER (Dixie Union); the horseman trained the colt's dam and sire, as well as his grand-dam and great grand-sire "Pyro is nothing short of brilliant as far as talent goes. He's a deep closer and, at Monmouth, there'll be 12 horses for him to figure out how to get around." —Asmussen on Champagne S. (G1) runner-up PYRO (Pulpit) "He's always displayed a lot of talent, but he's been a bit immature. He trained well in the mornings, but was distracted in the afternoon. After his first start, we added the blinkers (for a few races) then took them off (for last start). He grew up and ran an impressive race last time (blinkers off). He may look like he's short on credentials, but he could jump up and run big. (Owner) Mr. (Paul) Reddam is such a competitor and loves the challenge." —conditioner Doug O'Neill on Juvenile contender OVEREXTENDED (Monarchos), who will enter the race off just a maiden win "It's a horrible post. It's hard to believe it happened to us again (extreme outside draw). He handled it last time (when winning the Breeders' Futurity [G1] at Keeneland from post 12), so he'll have to again." —trainer George "Rusty" Arnold on WICKED STYLE (Macho Uno) drawing the far outside post in the Juvenile "It was like a Janet Jackson malfunction. A harrow was stuck on the track and they closed it, but she handled it fine. Nothing bothers her. She's a very honest filly. She's a filly with a future. Let's hope it's an immediate future." —trainer Pat Reynolds on being forced to alter training plans for Frizette S. (G1) runner-up and Juvenile Fillies (G1) contender BACKSEAT RHYTHM (El Corredor) "She definitely seems like a filly of above-average talent. As long as she has a safe trip, it doesn't matter what she's running on. When she broke her maiden impressively at Del Mar, we started thinking Breeders' Cup." —O'Neill on GRACE ANATOMY (Aldebaran) trying the dirt for the first time in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies "Indian Blessing reminds me a lot of her sire, Indian Charlie. She was training well at Del Mar and I shipped her to Saratoga (for a maiden victory). She is very talented. As far as two turns, I don't know. She was tired after the Frizette but she has come back well. She got a great number out of it: a G1." —trainer Bob Baffert on undefeated Frizette victress INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie), who is the 3-1 favorite on the Juvenile Fillies morning line "These two juvenile races are the unorganized ones. Most of these horses haven't raced enough to show a confirmed pattern. Most of them have won with pure speed." —Jones on the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Juvenile Fillies on Saturday; Jones has Matron S. (G2) heroine PROUD SPELL (Proud Citizen) entered in the latter race "(Owner) Mr. (Brereton) Jones was a little concerned when none of the horses we beat in the Matron did well in the Frizette. That's when I as the trainer had to step up and say that it was expected those horses would bounce and that is better to have fresh horse for the Breeders' Cup." —Jones on the decision not to run Proud Spell again since her September 15 Matron score "Absolutely not. We're from Emerald Downs. We don't have these kinds of races. We have to prove we can do it. It's a challenge." —conditioner Doris Harwood on whether she was upset with unbeaten multiple stakes winner SMARTY DEB (Smart Strike) being listed as a 30-1 longshot for the Juvenile Fillies
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