JOCKEY QUOTES

            JUAN HERNANDEZ, CARMELITA’S MAN, WINNER: “This horse tries all the time and he is such a friendly horse. He gives you whatever you want. I just took a hold of him. Once we got to the three-eighth’s pole I started to work him because he has a tendency to get lazy. Once we hit the stretch, he changed leads and we ran them down. I was worried about the slow pace. I could feel it. We stayed close enough where I felt we could get home.”

TRAINER QUOTES

      DEAN PEDERSON, CARMELITA’S MAN, WINNER: “He’s the type of horse where you can’t let the pace dictate how you ride him. If you try to force the issue too much, then he doesn’t finish.

“Juan knows how to ride him. I told him to make sure he had him in high gear turning for home, and it worked out really well.”

OWNER QUOTES

     LARRY JETT, CARMELITA’S MAN, WINNER: “My mom, when I was a kid, she would always bring me to the races and I’m stoked.

“(I’ve) been with Dean (Pederson) for a couple of years, Jack Carava until he retired. I’m just blessed. There’s some highs and a lot of lows but that is just part of it. I’m so excited right now.

“When he started coming up the lane he just kept moving and there wasn’t a lot of speed in the race which kind of concerned me, but I’m not sure if I was focusing on that. I was just watching that silk getting closer.

“Back at Churchill in the Keertana stakes, we have a mare, Undisturbed, which we ran here and she’s running there in about ten minutes.

“We are in the batter’s box twice and I’m going to go two for two.”

            NOTES: The winning owner is Larry and Ann Jett.