$100,000 Sunset Handicap - Grade III - 70th Running - 1 ½ Miles (Turf)
Jockey Quotes
JOEL ROSARIO, MARLANG, Winner: “He went to the post quiet but he was sweating a little. I sent him to the lead and he got a little tough after that. He’s a long striding horse and about halfway through the race he came back to me real nice. That’s why he finished better today. I want to thank all the people here for all the kindness and all the owners here at Hollywood Park for supporting me. Everything worked out real nice.”
JOE TALAMO, CHAMP PEGASUS, Second: “He’s such a nice horse. He’s really improving every start. It was his first time in a stakes and first time going a mile and one-half and he ran second to a really nice horse. It was actually a pretty honest pace. I thought I had him at the top of the stretch, but the closer I got to the other horse, he just kept on going. I was very pleased with him. He’ll win a stakes down the road.”
Trainer Quotes
NEIL DRYSDALE, MARLANG, Winner: “He had a nice prep the other day, a very nice prep. He washed out again today…he always sweats up a bit. He (Rosario) had to ask him a little bit from the gate and probably went a little quicker than he wanted. Then he came back and relaxed. He needs a mile and three-eighths or a mile or a flat mile and one-half. I’m going to talk to the owner to figure out what to do with him next. He’s either going to travel or the next race will be the ($200,000) Del Mar Handicap (on Aug. 29).”
$200,000 Swaps Stakes - Grade II - 37th Running - 1 1/8 Miles
Jockey Quotes
JOEL ROSARIO, SKIPSHOT, Winner: “The assistant trainer (Dan Ward) told me to keep the pressure on Sidney’s Candy. If we let him get loose, maybe we’d never catch him. I continued to ride hard all the way. If he beats me, fine. I thought we’d at least get second, but we beat him, so that’s good.”
JOE TALAMO, SIDNEY’S CANDY, Second: “He was training so well up to this race. I think that last little part just got him. He was coming off a decent layoff so I could see him maybe needing the race. You never know until you get them out in the afternoon. He’s still a great horse and he’s going to bounce back.”
Trainer Quotes
DAN WARD (Assistant Trainer to Jerry Hollendorfer), SKIPSHOT, Winner: “We have a lot of options with him…he’s improving. Jerry said he was coming up to a good race and my man knows what he’s talking about. In that sprint (Laz Barrera Memorial on May 22), he really didn’t get anything out of it. The race at a mile and one-sixteenth (Affirmed Handicap on June 19) really did him a lot of good. We were pretty confident today, but next time at equal weights we can’t be as confident.”
$150,000 A Gleam Handicap - Grade II - 56th Running - 7 Furlongs
Jockey Quotes
VICTOR ESPINOZA, SWEET AUGUST MOON, Winner: “I thought there was going to be a little bit of speed in there but everybody kind of slowed down and they moved out. I wanted to save ground at the three-eighths pole and not have to go too wide. I thought I had a chance to win the race but my main thing was to try and save ground. I had a good post on the outside and I thought ‘this is great, I’m going to be on the outside of everybody and during the race everything changed. I decided to take a shot by staying on the inside and I got lucky.”
MIKE SMITH, FREE FLYING SOUL, Second: “She ran great. The winner got a great trip along the rail and that might have been the difference.”
Trainer Quotes
BRIAN KORINER, SWEET AUGUST MOON, Winner: “We just got her to calm down a little bit. We tracked her this morning. She’s never run with a tongue tie because she’s so ornery. Today we ran her in a tongue tie. There are just a few little things that made the difference. The post had a lot to do with it. Last time she was up on the inside and Joe (Talamo) kind of had to try and ask her to get position and maybe move when she didn’t want to be moved. It just took a while after the layoff to come around. I’ve always expected her to come back around. The owners were always nervous. One of the guys kept calling and asking ‘what are we going to do with her.’ and I’m like ‘just give her time.’ We’re looking at the ($150,000) Rancho Bernardo (Aug. 22 at Del Mar) next.”
$100,000 Landaluce Stakes - 66th Running - 6 Furlongs
Jockey Quotes
JOE TALAMO, DAWNIE MACHO, Winner: “She not only has speed, but she’s rateable. She broke so sharp then just came right back to me. When I shook the reins at her she just took off. She won easy going 4 1/2 (furlongs) and for her first time moving forward it was unbelievable. John (Sadler) said they just bought her and worked her one time. I talked to John this morning and he gave me all the confidence in the world. He said she’ll do whatever you want, and she did. We’ll have some fun at Del Mar with her.”
VICTOR ESPINOZA, IZSHELEGAL, Second: “She’s a very talented filly. I thought she would run big, but unfortunately she came running a little bit late. I haven’t been on her, but I watched her work and I saw that she did everything nice and comfortable. Because it was her first time, I wanted to ride her patient. I just wanted to let her finish up good.”
Trainer Quotes
JOHN SADLER, DAWNIE MACHO, Winner: “When I went to Chicago to look at her she reminded me a lot of Coco Belle, another horse I trained. I flew back to Chicago on the redeye after a Lakers game. I got into Chicago at 5:30 in the morning and went out to Arlington to look at her. Then I got on a plane and flew back. We put a deal together about a week after her first race. We had a little trouble getting a plane out for her but when I got her back, she really breezed well Monday. The ($150,000) Sorrento (Aug. 6) Del Mar will be her next start.”
$250,000 Triple Bend Handicap - Grade I - 59th Running - 7 Furlongs
Jockey Quotes
MARTIN PEDROZA, E Z’S GENTLEMAN, Winner: “When I used to be in the jock’s room with Shoemaker and McCarron I was the bambino. That’s what Shoemaker used to call me, The Bambino. Now they call me the veteran here. I’m sweating so much because this is like winning the Santa Anita Handicap or six races in a day. To get my 1,000th win here in a Grade 1, it means a lot to me. Baffert told me ‘if you would have gotten him beat, I would have beat you up.’ Mike Smith (M One Rifle) rode a great race…he figured there was only two speeds, him and me. He kept me inside just enough so I could stay there. He was hoping I’d come around him and maybe he could steal the race. And who knows, if he got away he might have been tough. I said to myself, I’m here and and I’m not going to give up my position.”
MARTIN GARCIA, SANGAREE, Second: “He ran really well. He keeps running good races. I thought I had a chance to catch him (E Z’S GENTLEMAN) but that other horse just kept going. But my horse ran well, no excuses.”
Trainer Quotes
BOB BAFFERT, E Z’S GENTLEMAN, Winner and SANGAREE, Second: “I didn’t give either jockey any instructions. When (E Z’s Gentleman) was dueling, I thought, `Oh, no he doesn’t run like that, but he just put it to him (pacesetter M One Rifle); he got aggressive with him from the inside. He got up in there and he got aggressive with him because he didn’t want M One Rifle to sneak away because he can do that to you. Martin knew what he was doing and the other horse came on and ran well. Recently, E Z’s Gentleman has just gotten better and better with age. This horse just kept on running. The timing was great for today.’’
$500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup - Grade I - 71st Running - 1 ¼ Miles
Jockey Quotes
DAVID FLORES, AWESOME GEM, Winner: “It was a very slow pace and everybody was looking for a position. I thought there was going to be a little more speed with Tres Borrachos and Compari in the race. But they kept going slower and slower and I was just being patient and waiting. Everybody went at the half-mile and I tried not to lose my position and wait for that pocket to come at the end. Mike Smith (Compari) was about ready to shut off the hole but he looked like he ran out of horse so it was very nice of him to leave me that spot. When that hole opened up I couldn’t look for any better spot than that. That was the most beautiful thing, when you have a horse that can accelerate like that at any time. He’s just been unlucky before but today he did the job.”
RAFAEL BEJARANO, RAIL TRIP, Second: “I was traveling well and was in good position on the first turn. After the first turn, (Cigar Man) just pushed me out. I was trying to follow the speed, but they were going so slow. I didn’t want to rush him so I waited for the half-mile. I don’t think he ran his race because he was so wide on the first turn and the second turn.”
MARTIN GARCIA, RICHARD’S KID, Third: “My horse usually comes from way off the pace, but this time they were all just galloping. Nobody wanted to go. He’s a really good horse and I think he just needed the race. Next time, nobody’s going to beat him.”
$100,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship - Grade III - 71st Running - 6 Furlongs
Jockey Quotes
JOE TALAMO, J P’S GUSTO, Winner: “For being so young he’s so mature and very, very professional. He was beat by a head or a neck then he really fought back. You really like to see that in a young horse. I was pretty confident down the backstretch. I knew the horse in front was going very quick for a two year old. At three-quarters I definitely thought he was going to stop the last part. I had to move a little bit earlier than I would have liked to because (Joel) Rosario (on Western Mood) moved too and I just went with him. That’s why we stayed so wide coming off the turn….we made it kind of our race. He was really finishing the last part.”
JOEL ROSARIO, WESTERN MOOD, Second: “The other horse floated me out a little bit, by my horse was digging in. He’s still learning, it was only his second start. He’s a real good horse and I think this race will help him next time.”
Trainer Quotes
DAVID HOFMANS, J P’S GUSTO, Winner: “He showed some heart and fought back. Both colts are pretty nice. They beat the field off quite well. I think Joe had to move a little sooner than he wanted to because that horse was so far in front. He’s always been a confident horse but I think this will give him more confidence, especially the way he came back. Not all horses will do that once they get headed in deep stretch like that. I think he’s right up there with General Meeting. He reminds me of General Meeting a lot, they’re similar in their body style. We’ll probably go next in the Best Pal (Aug. 8 at Del Mar). The Del Mar Futurity (Sept. 8) is our goal.”
$250,000 American Oaks (GI) - 9th Running - 1 1/4 Miles (Turf)
Jockey Quotes
MARTIN GARCIA, HARMONIOUS, Winner: “John (Shirreffs) told me to let her break and then make her really comfortable. I thought that if she relaxed she could win. So what I did was just break her and let her relax. At the three-eighths a horse outside passed me, but I didn’t want to move with her so what I did was take a hold and just follow her. Turning for home, when she got in front she started looking around for company. She really is a nice filly. She was waiting for more. She wanted to keep going and going and going.”
Trainer Quotes
JOHN SHIRREFFS, HARMONIOUS, Winner: “We had a lot of high hopes for her. She showed us a lot. When she won that allowance race going a mile and one-eighth we knew she wanted more distance and thought she could handle more distance. That was exactly what we wanted, not to move early…especially at a mile and one-quarter with a 3-year-old filly that hasn’t done it. We don’t know what’s next for her.”
NOTES: The victory was the first in a Grade 1 at Hollywood Park for Garcia…Both of Shirreffs’ stakes wins at the meet have been in Grade 1’s. He won the Vanity on June 13 with the undefeated Zenyatta…
Share This Page 
Copyright © 2009 Hollywood Park. All rights reserved. Site design by Love Has No logic Design Group