Doug O'Neill Quotations

We're excited about Sharp Lisa running Saturday. Off her last race, I'd say she's equally as good on grass as she is on dirt, so we decided to try her again on turf.

The best medicine any doctor could order would be a live 3-year-old colt on the Derby campaign.

All his races were impressive. Even when he got in trouble, he ran well despite not having a clean trip.

We're all talking about the Gold Cup as the dream spot and probably a spot between now and then. It is in our own backyard.

There'd definitely be disappointment. At the same time, our main goal is that Triple Crown run. If he gets a good race Saturday, and he comes out of it well, we'll be able to feel good.

Most horses, you're not plotting more than the next three, four weeks. It takes a special horse, and special (human) connections, to not panic and do something to jeopardize getting there. You want each race to be a little better than the one before, with the hope that he'll peak in the Kentucky Derby.

Merv hates losing. He's a guy who expects excellence every time. We were pretty darn confident that we were going to get it done today. It's a hit, but he'll be all right.

It was such a weird race on paper that we kept telling Corey, 'Don't get sucked into the inside.

I'm happy with the horses we've got. If they stay sound, they can run every three or four weeks.

We gelded him a few months back because he's so high-strung. This race is attractive because it's in our backyard.