JOCKEY QUOTES

GARY STEVENS, PONTCHATRAIN, WINNER: “Tyler’s filly (Baze, on Camryn Kate) must have jumped in a little bit the first step because my filly’s right rear went down for two strides. She got right back up underneath me but I thought she might have grabbed a quarter; it was pretty severe. But then, boom, she just took off. I even asked Amy (Dollase, assistant to trainer Tom Proctor) when we came back to check her right hind and she said that the shoe had ‘sprung.’ It almost would have been better if it came off completely. It’s not often that happens.

“She’s still a young filly loaded with talent and she’s still learning. There are races down the road so I don’t think there’s any use in being in a hurry with her. She’s got a great turn of foot and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tom stretch her out at some point. She’s got that ability and I was thinking about her next step as we were crossing the dirt believe it or not.”

RAFAEL BEJARANO, KINDLE, SECOND: “She’s so fast. We went 22 and change (opening quarter mile in 22:08) and I had a hold of her. When we crossed the dirt, I had to let her go. The winner is a really nice filly. My horse ran good.”

TRAINER QUOTES

TOM PROCTOR, 11-10 FAVORITE PONTCHATRAIN, WINNER, AND PURIM’S DANCER, THIRD: Asked if he had any that won three stakes in a row over the same venue as Pontchatrain has: “I wouldn’t think so. I don’t remember past last week, so don’t ask me. I haven’t had any win pretty much three in a row anyway, to be honest.”

Asked about the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November: “The Breeders’ Cup is never a goal for me. These races are big and I don’t like to talk about the Breeders’ Cup until a day or two out.”

Asked if the loose shoe on her right hind foot had any impact, since she won the race anyway: “No, I guess not.”

Asked about what race might be next: “I really wasn’t thinking (about that). I’m just trying to get well. I’ve been deathly ill all week. I didn’t think I was going to make it to 1,000 (career) wins. I thought I was going to die first.”

Proctor won his 1,000th race Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs with Avanzare.

GARY MANDELLA, KINDLE, SECOND: “I’d have to be happy with that. She ran eleven flat off an 11 month layoff so how could you be disappointed with that. Tom has a very nice filly (winner Pontchatrain) and that’s why she’s won five out of seven. We’re both blessed to have very talented fillies.

“The obvious thing to do would be to keep her in races like this but the next race isn’t until April, so what we do in between now and then, I’m not quite sure.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Leonard Lavin of Ocala, FL, who races as Glen Hill Farm.