JOCKEY QUOTES

MIKE SMITH, SHAKIN IT UP, WINNER: “I was really impressed. My main concern was the distance today. He had done it once (ran 1 1/16 miles), and didn’t do so good. Of course, he had a lot of time off after that so I don’t know if that had something to do with it (his doing better today.) He certainly has developed into a bigger, stronger colt. He can certainly get a mile and a sixteenth anyway. I think he can get a mile and an eighth and after that it’s no man’s land.

“I was so happy with the way he broke. In these types of races there is ‘so-so’ speed in there and if you get away bad you can be way behind a slow pace and then you’ve left yourself too much to make up. The sharp break played a big part in everything. I was able to get out, get in good position and then make my move, and I may have even gunned him a little early but man did he respond.”

MARTIN GARCIA, GOVENOR CHARLIE, SECOND: “My horse has a lot of natural speed. I sprinted to get into the race but I knew there was another horse to the outside of me (Joe Talamo on Heir of Storm) so I let him go and I sat outside of him (down the backstretch) and when I moved, my horse moved really good, I just got beat by a really good horse today.”

COREY NAKATANI, HEAR THE GHOST, THIRD: “They ran awful fast. It seems like we’re not making up any ground. His natural style is to have a couple in front of him and have a target to run at. We just couldn’t make up any ground. Mike’s horse ran a tremendous race.”

TRAINER QUOTES

BOB BAFFERT, SHAKIN IT UP, WINNER, AND GOVENOR CHARLIE, SECOND: “Midnight Lute. I’m telling you; unbelievable (both horses were sired by Midnight Lute). I was never really sure he (Shakin It Up) could go two turns. Today, the way he did it, I was pretty impressed myself the way he did it.

“His demeanor–he’s a quiet horse. The other horse (Govenor Charlie) ran a big race, too. He’s a good horse. The time was pretty fast . . . I know Mike (Smith), when he worked him the other day, he just loved him.”

Asked how far he could run: “I don’t think there’s a limit, the way he ran today. He ran down a pretty good horse. Govenor Charlie, to me, I always thought he was the better of the two last year. Governor Charlie ran pretty brave today off that long layoff.”

Next race: “We’ll see how they come out and how they train.”

DENNIS CARDOZA, CO-OWNER, SHAKIN IT UP: “Bob’s had a lot of confidence in him. He didn’t get a fair shot in the Sunland Derby; he got hurt in that race. Bob’s done a fabulous job, Mike Smith rode him perfectly, and Mike Pegram is the most fabulous partner I could ever want to have. It’s a good day all around.

“Racing is special because I’ve loved it so much all my life. I watched Secretariat win the Triple Crown with my Mom. She’s passed on now, but I have my brother here with me today first time. When I was in the Legislature (see note below), I tried to do what I could to help the horse racing industry because I cared about it. It’s great to have the good fortune to have a horse that’s this good.”

JERRY HOLLENDORFER, HEAR THE GHOST, Third: “We ran third.”

NOTES: The winning owners are Dennis Cardoza, a former U.S. Congressional Representative from California’s Central Valley, who now resides in Lothian, Md., and Mike Pegram of Phoenix.