JOCKEY QUOTES

ABEL CEDILLO, CABO SPIRIT, WINNER: “The goal was to make the lead and if another horse sped ahead, let them go. If not, the plan was always to get to the front and then try to slow down. That’s exactly what we did.”

JOHN VELAZQUEZ, THERE GOES HARVARD, SECOND: “He did everything good. We just couldn’t get there since there was no other speed out there with the horse in front. I was in a great spot, and he really picked it up in the stretch. I thought we might get there, but we ran out of room.”

TRAINER QUOTES

GEORGE PAPAPRODROMOU, CABO SPIRIT, WINNER: “He ran huge. He went out there and Abel did a great job and put them to sleep kind of and kept him going. He opened up in the end and just kept him going. He ran a huge race today. “I’m feeling great. Starting the meet like this, what can I say? It’s unbelievable.”

MICHAEL MCCARTHY, THERE GOES HARVARD, SECOND: “He made a very good move, but we just came up short. It was a very big effort and it will certainly open things up down the road.”

NOTES: The winning owner is Kretz Racing, LLC.