Kiaran McLaughlin Quotations

We're happy, very happy. We were very happy that he was able to close, that's his style. Fernando has been on him his previous three or four races, and he always comes running late. So, we were happy that he showed that same run today again, especially against this caliber of horse. It looks like he will like a mile and a quarter and we are sure looking forward to the opportunity.

She finished second so many times, and I'm glad she finally got a graded stakes win. She's a very good filly.

No doubt there will be a mad dash at the start, but for us it's a matter of how quickly some of them stop. There will be several of them backing up at the 3/8th pole, and hopefully they don't get in our way when we're running from the back.

I can't get over how good that turf looks.

He was such a game horse. To be a part of that pace in this year's Kentucky Derby, to come nine-wide into the stretch, and to be only narrowly beaten tells you all you need to know about this horse's ability and heart. He was so consistent. We will miss him around the barn.

It gets more like Churchill ( Downs ) all the time.

That's the least of our worries. He's our friend, and we just hope he's OK.

We don't know what we're going to do now (with Like Now). We'll just play it day by day.

We will definitely keep taking steps forward to the Kentucky Derby.

We would love to go there with this horse. We know he wants the mile and a quarter.

We just thought it was a great fit for Mike to ride a gray son of Holy Bull if we get in.

That 10 hole is tough but to run as well as he did is really something. We didn't win, but we sure got close.

Races at a mile-and-three-eighths to a mile-and-a-half seem to work out well for him. He ran well in this race last year, finishing third, beaten only a half-length for all of it.

Speed, inside, inner track, all worked in our favor.

That's good. We were training him to run in the Derby. We didn't have an alternate plan.

There was nothing wrong with him. We just stopped on him because he had been going and going and needed some time. The time off was good to him because he's been training absolutely fabulous since I've got him back here.

It's tough to be 7-5 in a Grade 1 race and get that kind of trip, to be six wide like he was.

It's one of the toughest races on the program. We're looking to get a piece of it.

It looks like he will like a mile and a quarter and we are sure looking forward to the opportunity.

It means abundance. I'm just hoping to hear it called in the race, no matter how they say it.

I hope this gray horse, like Giacomo, keeps improving with each race and is headed for a big performance on the first Saturday in the May. Of course, we're hoping for an equally good performance in the Florida Derby.

I opted to give him a break after the Manhattan. He didn't have any major problems. I've been pointing for this race for a long time. I figure he runs well fresh, and he wants to go the distance. Naturally I'm a little nervous bringing him back off the layoff and asking him to go this far, but I think he should run well.

He's not moving as well as we know he can, and we're having trouble figuring it out. He's going to have a nuclear scan. It's one of those things where he could be back to us next week or in three months.

He always comes running late. So we're happy he showed that same late run today, especially against this caliber of horse. It looks like he'll like a mile and a quarter and we're looking forward to the opportunity.