LONGACRES MILE QUOTES
$200,000 LONGACRES MILE (G3)
81st RUNNING, AUGUST 14, 2016
ONE MILE IN 1:32.90

MARIO GUTIERREZ, POINT PIPER, WINNER: “I think they put a really fast pace in front. I think that helped me a lot. My horse was riding really good today. I got a really good trip. By the time I hit the stretch and I asked him, he just exploded. He had a lot of energy to use at the end. So like I said, it was really a hard race. He ran his best race today. It was very impressive for him to break the track record. It feels amazing to break that record. The way that the race developed, I didn’t have to push my horse too hard. I just told myself to stay chill today; just try to stay patient. We broke really good. We tried to find our holes and make the right move at the right time, and today everything worked perfect. I think the mile (distance) really helped the horse. The mile really suits the horse. The distance is perfect for the type of horse that he is. I think that’s his best performance in that kind of distance, so that helped a lot.”

JOCKEY NORBERTO ARROYO, JR., CYRUS ALEXANDER, SECOND: “I thought he was going to keep going when he was making a move around the turn. I expected the horse in the lead to stop at some point because he was going fast. But really, I counted O B Harbor out early. He’d have to be really good to be going at that pace and not get caught, and my horse was running very comfortably, and we were coming around the half-mile pole, and I just let Cyrus go. He didn’t want to run inside. He wanted to go outside. I got within a length of the front, and he kind of slowed down. At least the stable mate passed us, but Cyrus ran a real good race.”

JOCKEY JOSE ZUNINO, O B HARBOR, THIRD: “He didn’t do like he normally does. Today he went a little faster than normal. He fought me today. It was the horse’s decision to go fast early. I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to save ground. I know that sometimes he tries too hard. He tries really hard, and I’m not complaining. It’s one bad race, that’s it. I still like him. He’s a very nice horse. Today’s a different race. I think he will be a nice horse next year.”

JOCKEY TYLER BAZE, ALERT BAY, FOURTH: “I wasn’t expecting to get beat. He’s a nice horse. I’ve won seven or eight races on him. He always gives me a hundred percent. I got no big excuse for him today. I had a good trip. I was where I want to be the whole race. I tipped him to the outside and he made a little run. He made a great run, but I think he’s just a little better on the grass myself. I went with him on turf, dirt and maybe synthetic. He’s a cool horse to ride and he gives everything he’s got. I think he’s just maybe a little better on the grass. He’s a cool horse to ride. I broke his maiden three or four years ago. Blaine (D. Wright) and Peter (Redekop), it’s just been a blessing for them to let me keep riding this horse. There were instances where I wasn’t able to ride him, and they asked me to come up for him this year, and it’s just a blessing. This is home. And it’s nice to come up and see family. Emerald Downs is the first track I galloped on.”

JOCKEY LESLIE MAWING, STRYKER PHD, FIFTH: “He didn’t have the fire. He broke pretty sharp today, then he took himself back. We got shuffled, and he got bumped going into the first turn, and he lost his footing a few steps. We got him to recover at about the 6 ½, and I was able to move him out on the backside where he runs his best race. I didn’t want him to stop when he’s got that momentum. But the winner today, he ran a fantastic race. A new track record. How do you beat that? Jerry (Hollendorfer) is a fantastic trainer. So when he sends something up here, he’s coming to win, and you have to respect that.”

JOCKEY ROCCO BOWEN, SAMMY MANDEVILLE, SIXTH: “This is a nice horse. I just want to say thank you to Doug O’Neill for choosing me to ride this horse. I ran 6th or 7th, but that’s another step in my career. That’s another milestone. A double-Kentucky Derby winning trainer called my agent and asked me to ride this horse. Five years ago I didn’t have these opportunities. I didn’t hit the board, but it’s a huge opportunity to get a call from those guys.”

JOCKEY ESWAN FLORES, DEDICATED TO YOU, SEVENTH: “It was a tough field out there. It was one of the most prestigious races here at Emerald Downs. It was fire on fire. I believe my horse ran a great race. I guess he just got beat by the better horse today.”

JOCKEY JUAN GUTIERREZ, SABADO ALEGRE, NINTH : “The horse is really professional. He does his job. At the quarter-pole it looked like I had a little more horse. But when the No. 7 horse (Cyrus Alexander) was coming down, it put a little pressure on Sabado. He was a little scared and he lost the momentum. He’s a very nice horse and he does everything right.”

JOCKEY ISAIAS ENRIQUEZ, PRIME ENGINE, ELEVENTH: “He got a good position right away. We were in second or third. The first part of the race was pretty good, but it wasn’t his day. We have had better days. It’s a very nice horse; a very, very good horse. I mean, I love him to death. This horse doesn’t even have one mean bone in his body. He always tries hard. Today, they went too fast the first part. He just spit the bit, but he’s going to have more chances in the future. The horse has a big career. I went with this horse the first two races of his life, and I love him to death. He’s a very nice horse. I hope for a better ride next time.”