BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 3, 2023

Brian Wise

Cole Wise

Santa Anita Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's get started. Congratulations to winning Connections of Hard to Justify. Brian Wise and your son, Cole. What a great effort today, 3-for-3. What a special ride this filly has taken you all on. Tell us a little bit about how you came about getting her into your stable and just the story behind Hard to Justify.

BRIAN WISE: You know, it's really all about having the best team in the business. When I say that, it's that Chad Brown and Mike Ryan and Niall Brennan were walking together looking last fall for horses at the Keeneland sale. They spotted this horse that wasn't even on their radar at first and said, Hey, there's something about her.

Then it went down to Niall in Florida. She just -- as Chad said, she just started training and never did anything wrong. It's luck, but it's luck that you get when you work with the best people in the world.

THE MODERATOR: Sometimes it's good to be lucky as well. This filly now, 3-for-3. Chad started her going around two turns. So did he always say to you, you know, this filly wants the distance to ground, I'm pointing towards something like Fillies Turf?

BRIAN WISE: He always thought that she wanted stints and wanted ground. He never looks forward like that. It's, let's see what she does.

She has a great heart. Her very first race she had a ton of trouble, and she pulled away. Then she just has a great heart.

THE MODERATOR: You have your son, Cole, with you. How special is this to be with family on the world's stage at Breeders' Cup today?

COLE WISE: I think it's really special. We've always been as a family talking about a moment like this, and it doesn't really seem real until it happens. So we've always just been kind of patient because we've been working on this for ten years, since I was little. Now we're here, and it's super surreal.

THE MODERATOR: So you've got the bug?

COLE WISE: Yeah.