$100,000 SENSATIONAL STAR STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

GEOVANNI FRANCO, JOHNNY PODRES, WINNER: “Johnny Podres is a horse that always will give you his best. I knew that he was going to come out running. He put me in a really good position early on and was well relaxed. Coming down the hill he was a little eager to go but he waited for me to give him the command to go. Once we crossed the dirt he took off from there. I was a little more worried about the horse on my outside (Coalinga Road) I thought he was going to come after me after we crossed the dirt but Johnny was just full of run.”

JUAN HERNANDEZ, LOVESICK BLUES, SECOND: “I had a good trip my horse broke really good out of the gate.  I was a little far back, but I was feeling really good. He broke sharp and I was having a really nice trip. When we crossed the dirt, I felt like a winner because my horse was catching horses.  At the sixteenth pole I saw the outside horse come up to me and I just got beat by the better horse. I am really happy with my horse he gave me everything he had. We lost today but he is going to be okay next time.”

TRAINER QUOTES

LIBRADO BAROCIO, JOHNNY PODRES, WINNER: “Last time he ran for the $50,000 tag and I was praying that nobody would take him. Geovanni gave him a perfect ride, he won. When he came back to the barn, he kind of puffed up and it was like he got his confidence back. I was telling my friends today that he was going to run really big and thank God he did. He ran a lights-out race and I’m so proud of him.

“Mr.  Alexander, he did a great job, he breeds so many great horses. My partner David Bernsen, he believes in me and let’s me put him where I feel like he could win. To have an owner or partner like that it is just heaven sent because there’s no pressure. This horse just wants to win.”

NOTES: The winning owner is David A. Bernsen LLC and Mia Familia Racing Stable.