GRADE II, $200,000, CALIFORNIAN STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JUAN HERNANDEZ, DEFUNDED, WINNER: “He was standing really good and at the last moment he decided to take a step back and at that time they gave us the break so he kind of hopped in the air. After the bad break he relaxed very well behind those horses, he wasn’t rank at all and down the backside I felt like I had a lot of horse. Around the three-eighths I swung out and I put him in the clear and when I did that, he picked it up by himself. I just let him go and he caught the horses.

“The plan was to go to the lead or stay close to the lead, but I had a bad break. He relaxed very well and was having fun down the backside, the dirt wasn’t bothering him at all, so that was perfect. He is a nice horse, and he is improving with every race.”

TRAINER QUOTES

BOB BAFFERT, DEFUNDED, WINNER: “He’s always had a little issue in the gate. Juan said that today he was standing perfect and right when they kicked it, he stepped back and that’s why he hopped out of there. That’s why he just sat on him, he said he was never rank. He was in the bridle, and he was just being patient with him. I’m glad that he handled it. Down the backside I wasn’t sure, I thought we missed the race. I almost didn’t run him in here, but he was doing so well I put I’m in the race to freshen him up a little bit. I was thinking of a race in Oaklawn, but there was so much speed in that race that’s why I didn’t go there. I’m just happy that Karl Watson was here with his wife to watch the race, so it was exciting.

“I like the fact that he has always been one dimensional and it looks like now he’s maturing, getting older and he is starting to fill out. He’s always been a little bit of a head case but now he’s figuring it out and he knows he’s a good horse so that’s important.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.