2016 Kentucky Oaks Trainer Quotes

May 06, 2016 Churchill Downs Communications

John Servis, trainer of Cathryn Sophia (winner) – “Javier (Castellano) rode her great. I'm so happy. I saw (Castellano) had horse (coming into the stretch) and when he inched up three wide on the outside, I knew he had horse. Oh my God, to have the Derby and Oaks on my resume, and to have only run one each time, it's fantastic.' 

Doug O’Neill, trainer of Land Over Sea (second) – “She ran a great race for us. We are very proud of her. Mario (Gutierrez) said she got away from there a bit slow and he was farther back than he wanted to be. So, he saved all the ground he could and kept plugging. At one point there I thought she was going to be fifth or sixth, but she kept trying and Mario never gave up on her. We are delighted with her try.” 

Chad Brown, trainer of Lewis Bay (third) – “I thought my horse ran well. I thought she ran great. I'll talk to (jockey) Irad (Ortiz Jr.). She got a good trip saving ground. She just got nailed for second. The winner was clearly best today.'

 Dale Romans, trainer of Go Maggie Go (fourth) – “He (jockey Luis Saez) said she had her feet crossed and the starter went to straighten her up and they sprung the latch. All in all it was an impressive performance for the third start in her life to be in a position she had never been going that far and being stuck inside of horses. When she got clear, I thought she was going to get second. She ran a nice race. She got beat a half-length for second.”          

Todd Pletcher, trainer of Mo d’Amour (fifth)/Rachel’s Valentina (sixth) –“Johnny (Velazquez) said she started slipping away from him at about the three-eighths pole. She was in the spot we envisioned for her in the early part of the race, then it just wasn’t there at the end. Mo d’Amour did some good running and came on late to finish fifth. It was a good race for her.”

 Rusty Arnold, trainer of Weep No More (seventh) – “We came to run well and it didn’t work out great. We didn’t run as bad as it looked in my opinion. We kind of had a few things go wrong, but we’re going to regroup and head to the Alabama (GI) in midsummer. That’s our goal.” 

Neil Howard, trainer of Dream Dance (eighth) – “That was some of the best 3-year-old fillies out there but she ran good. She’s a nice Grade 2 or 3 filly but let’s see how she comes out of this, but she ran good.”

Gustavo Delgado, trainer of Paola Queen (ninth) – “She ran very good up to the stretch, but (Emisael) Jaramillo said she got tired.”

 Steve Asmussen, trainer of  Terra Promessa (10th)/Royal Obsession (11^th)/Taxable (14^th)) – “Didn’t do any good. I am just disappointed with the way the race went.”   

 Tom Amoss, trainer of  Venus Valentine (12th) – “We tried. This is a very good field of horses. We had a lot of ground to make up and the race did not back up really well for us. But I am very proud of her.”

 Richard Baltas, trainer of Mokat (13th) – “The Oaks was such a great race. We were hoping for a better outcome but glad we came. All in all, I am happy. She was stuck on the inside and appeared not to care for the dirt. Maybe the runner-up in the Santa Anita Oaks was a fluke but we will give her 30-60 days off and point her to the Del Mar Oaks.”