BREEDERS' CUP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 29, 2005

James Jerkens

Artie Schiller

ARTIE SCHILLER: Well, I'm very friendly with the Entenmann family. Have been many years, went to school with him. He called me up one day few years ago, and he asked me if it was all right I named the horse after him. Actually, I said, Bill, you been drinking? He said no. Really, I want to name a horse after you. I have to ask you. I just can't do it. I said it's all right with me, Bill, go ahead.

ARTIE SCHILLER: Oh, yeah, actually, we grew up in the same town. We went to school together. The whole family, his brother Charlie, was in the same class as I was. I knew the whole family.

ARTIE SCHILLER: I didn't think I'd be the first one, that's for sure. Few minutes we'll see maybe my old man will follow up.

ARTIE SCHILLER: Got a good shot.

JAMES JERKENS: Well, I don't know. I just been seeing him win a lot of races in a lot of different situations coming from behind, slipping through, coming around, going in the lead, coming from behind, dirt turf, sprinting, going along looking like he was doing it all and just getting unbelievable runout of all those horses. And, you know, I wanted to take after Richie got hurt sitting there going to take what I think is my best shot. I never met him. I got a lot of friends in New York, a lot of agents and jocks who are great, and things like that. Some reason, I just wanted fresh face. I can't really explain it. I just needed something, another spark, kind of.

JAMES JERKENS: I guess it was a little tougher maybe because of Bobby Frankel's horse and a few others. He's starting to get knocked a little bit in the paper about hanging from one guy, said he developed a hanging habit. I didn't particularly agree. This was going a mile and a quarter further than he likes, looked like he was going to win, and he did just hang inside the 16th pole a little bit. And last time he had every reason, I think, to get beat. Being that close to the pace last time, he never ran anywhere near that in any of his races before that.

JAMES JERKENS: Yeah. Because like you said, he's become like a pet around here. He knows the place well. When he ships out of town, he does get a little upset. Doesn't eat as well, a little studdish, all that stuff takes something out of him. Got to take a little something out of you; whereas, when you're at home, just pretty much leading them right over there from the stall just about.

JAMES JERKENS: Ever since he won as a two-year-old, he won one here, going six furlongs. Came from the clouds going up six furlongs. I remember it was closing day of the meet here before we went up to Saratoga, everybody was talking about it. He really did put up a run. Rich was on him that day. First time he sat on him was that day. Whenever I wanted serious work, I call Richie to come get on him.

JAMES JERKENS: Yeah, I thought I wanted to race a little closer to the Breeder's Cup to try to get him ready. A few other things. The shipping was one and finding out that he developed a pretty bad case of skin disease at the time, too. So usually when that happens, it means the horse, for some reason, resistance is a little low. They're not quite at their best. Today was a lot different. He looked as sleek as a seal. Around that time, he just wasn't -- he was training the same, basically, just didn't look the same.

JAMES JERKENS: A lot of people can't believe he hasn't won one. He certainly is grade one caliber horse. If he retired without winning one, I would have taken that as a personal disaster, because he certainly is a great one horse.

JAMES JERKENS: Yeah, that was a concern but the fact it wasn't going to be all chopped up and cut up, that has a lot to do with it. When he got beat in Pimlico in the Dixie, he bobbled. If he bobbled once, he bobbled 10 times down the street and still only got beat a head. Edgar was telling me that day how cut up it was down there. It could be soft and not have a lot of ruts in it. They had the rail out for a long time, haven't run on the inner part of this course for quite a while. I felt pretty good about that. And especially after watching the fillies run today, I felt really good because 202 is decent time, even if it's, you know, firm. So, not decent, but if it's soft, they're going to run a lot slower than that, that's for sure.

JAMES JERKENS: I don't know if his physical stature. The style of running is what got everybody he would unleash these unbelievable runs. The fact he's a pretty horse adds to it. Now that he's four, he got a little thicker. He developed like you like to see a horse, always kind of long and lien as a three-year-old. Now he's filled out and, you know, really matured into a nice horse.

JAMES JERKENS: No, I haven't seen him yet.

JAMES JERKENS: It's the only thing I've ever known. I started working for him when I was very young. I was always him being like he was ever since I was a little kid. It was something I was really proud of. No, it would never get to the point I would ever be envious of him or think you have to live up to him or any of that nonsense. Like I said, he means the world to me and we've gotten along great from day one. So never been a problem. That kind of stuff has never entered into it.