GRADE II, $200,000, TWILIGHT DERBY QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES JOE BRAVO, CABO SPIRIT, WINNER: “Cabo laid a little bit closer to the pace today than he usually does. If you know him, he’s kind of a laid-back horse who sits back and then it’s go get ‘em. I got a message in the Paddock that it was the owners’ birthday, so we had to pull it off. Birthday candles for everybody!

“I’ve rode this horse a few times, so you get the personality and get to know the animal. George just did such an amazing job bringing him around. This horse has some issues and all he has done is get better and better since the gelding took effect.”

“I was really proud of the guy. I knew he was training coming into the race. He had me worried because we were lagging so close to pace early on, and I guess the times explain why he was laying so close to pace. This is a horse that we really had high hopes on early on. Today you can see how focused he was. From the eighth pole to the wire, he really bellied out, and you see what he did from there.”

TRAINER QUOTES GEORGE PAPAPRODROMOU, CABO SPIRIT, WINNER: “I was getting kind of worried, the way they were going kind of slow like that. Joe had him in the right spot and I was confident, he was travelling well up the backside and turning for home I was a little worried but luckily, they opened up for him and he won from there. Last time there was no pace for him and that I think made him fall back, but he made a big run, went wide and that cost him a little bit, but today everything went perfect. I was concerned with the fractions, going that slow but we got it done.

“I think probably the Hollywood Derby is next. To my man Rustin, Happy Birthday boss!”

NOTES: The winning owner is Kretz Racing LLC.