Jockey and trainer quotes from Rail Trip's shocking defeat

DiscreetCatDiscreetCat Moderator
edited May 2009 in Horse Racing Forum
from Hollywood Park:


Jockey Quotes

JOE TALAMO, BALL FOUR, Winner: “I’m going to be honest, I thought he would be on the lead. I didn’t think there was a whole lot of speed. I just kind of threw his head and he came right back to me. He was going so easy. He went 47 and change and to him it was like going :49. He does that in the morning. He has such a big, long stride. At the quarter pole I tried to leave him (Rail Trip) as quick as I could, try to open up as much as I could, and he did. He’s a neat old horse.”

JOSE VALDIVIA, JR., RAIL TRIP, Second: “I came out of the gate and put my horse kind of on the engine, but I know how good he is and I figured why set up the race for someone else? We went a relatively slow first quarter, but then we kind of scooted away — :47 is a decent pace. I don’t think the track has been freeway fast. When we hit the turn my horse did what he usually does. He got into the bridle and started scooting up closer. All I had was a half-length to make up and I thought I had dead aim. That other horse just came up with a big race. That was the first time my horse had to face these kind of horses. He’s still giving away a lot of experience. I’m definitely disappointed but I wouldn’t get down on him.”

Trainer Quotes

PATRICK BIANCONE, BALL FOUR, Winner: “What a lovely old horse. He runs well fresh and he was in great condition when we bought him from (Todd) Pletcher. I told Joe (Talamo) if you go :48 for the first half a mile, it’s over. When I saw :47.94 I said you were a little bit too fast. When you look at all his races and he goes between 47 and change and :48 they never catch him. That was the case today. We’ll see how he is, we cannot run too often so we will space a little bit then go from there.”

RON ELLIS, RAIL TRIP, Second: “They were rolling home, I thought he had that horse anytime he wanted around the turn — it looked like it to me — but obviously he had something left. The winner ran a great race, I under estimated him a little bit. I wasn’t going to go out there and put a lot of pressure on him, but we were tracking him perfectly . . . there were no excuses.

(Will you consider the Californian?) “For sure, it’s the first time he kind of got in a dog fight at all. It’s probably a new thing for him. He was finishing. Time-wise, they were coming home faster than they started out. The winner ran a really nice race. (Patrick) Biancone’s done a great job to turn him around because he hasn’t been running that good.”
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