BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 2, 2024

Joel Rosario

John Sadler

Kosta Hronis

Del Mar Fairgrounds

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Jockey Joel Rosario, aboard Full Serrano.

This was your first time on this horse. Kind of lightly raced over here in America. What did John tell you about him as far as how to ride him in this race?

JOEL ROSARIO: Yeah, first time. I watch this race before. First time I rode him today. I see him when he ran before, the race before.

He performed really well today. John told me just get him into first turn. After that, just see where you are, just ride it from there.

That's just amazing.

This guy right here mean everything for me. Winning a race for him, that's amazing.

THE MODERATOR: Trainer John Sadler and ownership Hronis Racing, Kosta Hronis. I was just asking Joel, he had never been on this horse before, ran two races over here in America. Did you give him any instructions or information about the horse that could be helpful for today's race?

JOHN SADLER: Just told him the race was doing really well. Very fit, ready to go. Ride him aggressive into the first turn. I thought the tactics would be key with a 14-horse field at Del Mar.

He got him into the turn beautiful shape, then he did a great job just sitting there.

THE MODERATOR: How important do you think it was for him to have the two races here? He'd won at a mile, tricky, especially with a full-field.

JOHN SADLER: Yeah, he trained really well here this summer. He drew the 1 the first time, when he won, he went like 44 at Stillwater. Really amazing.

I told Kosta and Stephanie, if he's going to run the Pacific Classic, he's going to train his way in off of one race. He trained beautifully for that, almost won that. Got back to Santa Anita, got a fever, couldn't go in the California Classic. He shed that quickly and trained up good for this race.

THE MODERATOR: Kosta, what about how this horse came to be over here, how you got this horse over here?

KOSTA HRONIS: We're always in the market for the long dirt races here for the California circuit. We're always shopping.

I don't really get to do the shopping. I just follow John around. I have the basket, he puts the stuff in, I go to the register. That's my involvement (laughter).

THE MODERATOR: John, same question for you. Tell us a little bit about how this horse came into your stable.

JOHN SADLER: Like Kosta said, we're always looking for horses. I think there's always room in this division, in California. I had a really good horse in Subsanador that they sold to Waltham Racing. You can see there's a lot of races for these horses. We're on the eye out for them.

This one we bought and it's worked out nicely.

THE MODERATOR: Joel, you mentioned how much this person means to you, putting you on this horse today.

JOEL ROSARIO: Yeah, I mean, it mean everything for me. I remember back when I came here, John give me amazing opportunity to race his horse, for the chance to win.

When you win a race, for somebody like him, very more special for me. I cannot thank him enough for everything he done for me and my career.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Joel, before the race everybody thought the pace could be very fast. Did you analyze that before the race?

JOEL ROSARIO: Yes, I did. I, I mean, after that I just listened where John told me. Very speed horse, he have a lot of speed. He get over really quickly.

Yeah, just trying to do exactly what John told me. When I find myself with the lead in the first turn, I know I was in good shape. After that, trying to just follow the horse. The horse did beautifully, did amazing job up there.

Q. John, was there anything in particular that you liked about him that made you want to buy him?

JOHN SADLER: He was the right age. He'd run distance aground. We're looking for horses that he'd been running a mile and a quarter, running the long distances in Argentina. I liked that.

He was reasonably priced. I liked that. Everything came together. He had conditions, too. He's actually eligible for three thousand three times. Not that we're going to do that (smiling). He was eligible for ship and win at Del Mar this summer. We thought there would be good spots oh for him.

THE MODERATOR: You mentioned distance aground. Do you see maybe stretching him back out again?

JOHN SADLER: Yeah, I mean, absolutely. He could run longer. Timing this year, he missed some time. I said I don't really have time to prepare him properly for the Classic, so we're going to go for the Mile. That's what we did.

Next year he could end up possibly in the Classic.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations.