RIDER QUOTES FROM THE 144TH RUNNING OF THE KENTUCKY DERBY

May 06, 2018 Churchill Downs Communications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, May 5, 2018):

Mike Smith, rider of Justify (1st) – “Going into the race the main concern was just getting him out of the gate. This horse is so talented. I keep using the term ‘above average’ because he has a mind to him as well. It was a sigh of relief when I got him out of the gate and I just stayed out of his way. Bolt d’Oro came to my outside the first time by the wire and I figured if we were going fast up front, they’re going fast behind me as well.”

Jose Ortiz, rider of Good Magic (2nd) – “I really thought I was going to get there. It felt great to be in the position I was in. My horse tried so hard and I can’t wait for his future. We had a great trip and he ran so hard.”

Javier Castellano, rider of Audible (3rd) – “I had a perfect trip. That’s why I was looking forward to today, because I knew there was a lot of speed. He was the only horse that came from behind. I was proud the way he did it. He finished good. I’m satisfied the way he did it.”

Drayden Van Dyke, rider of Instilled Regard (4th) – “I got slammed out of the gate pretty good. I would have liked to be a tad bit closer but I ended up with a pretty good trip without getting stopped. I got in a little situation turning for home as I had to weave through a couple of horses but I got a clear run down the lane. He had a good chance to really run down the lane. He ran hard and good. Fourth is huge.”

Kent Desormeaux, rider of My Boy Jack (5th) – “At the three-eighths pole, I had a wall of horses come back into me. He got stopped dry, stopped dry. My argument, in the end, would be that he probably would have been third.”

Luis Contreras, rider of Bravazo (6th) – “I was surprised how good he handled the sloppy track. I got a good break and tried to stay as close as I could. I got a bit of a wide trip but it happens in a race like this. He moved very good on the far turn but horses passed me in the end.”

Irad Ortiz Jr., rider of Hofburg (7th) – “It went pretty good at first, then horses came backing up in front of me and I had nowhere to go. I had to check him a little bit and after that he came back. When I asked him he was there, he was coming.”

James Graham, rider of Lone Sailor (8th) – “I had a great trip. I was on the fence the whole way and got a little unlucky.”

John Velazquez, rider of Vino Rosso (9th) – “He broke well. It’s tough obviously starting that far outside. We got into a good position in the far turn but just couldn’t make up that much ground.”

Flavien Prat, rider of Solomini (10th) – “The track (condition) didn’t bother him. We stayed on the fence and made a nice run at the end. He ran the way he was supposed to.”

Paco Lopez, rider of Firenze Fire (11th) – “I had perfect position. My horse tried very hard but he got tired.”

Victor Espinoza, rider of Bolt d’Oro (12th) – “I had a great trip. I just didn’t have enough horse to run with them. I was where I wanted to be. I was stalking the favorite all the way around but I was pretty much done at the half-mile pole.'

Jose Lezcano, rider of Flameaway (13th) – “We broke well and were in a good spot into the turn. We got to the rail and rated well on the backstretch. When I asked him to go he didn’t respond.”

Junior Alvarado, rider of Enticed (14th) – “I don’t think he got over the track well today.”

Corey Lanerie, rider of Promises Fulfilled (15th) – “The distance was just too much for him.”

Robby Albarado, rider of Free Drop Billy (16th) – “It’ll be fun one year whenever Dale (Romans) wins the Derby. He didn’t fire.”

Florent Geroux, rider of Noble Indy (17th) – “My horse did not like the wet track. I was happy with the trip I had on the outside. I was about to take a good position but floated two-three wide on the first turn. He just didn’t handle the off going very well.”

Ricardo Santana Jr., rider of Combatant (18th) – “I tried to get him into the best spot I could breaking from that far out but he never really handled the kickback.”

Luis Saez, rider of Magnum Moon (19th) – “He broke and put his ears back. A couple of jumps after the start, everyone was on top of me and I couldn’t get the spot I wanted. We will see in the next race if he will be any better. I didn’t think liked the track either.”

Ryan Moore, rider of Mendelssohn (20th) – “He got beat up out the gate and proceeded to check on the first turn and was never in a good place. The race was over (for him) then. The track condition did not bother him he had a rough trip early on.”