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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 5, 2011

Freddy Head

CHURCHILL DOWNS, KENTUCKY

THE MODERATOR: Live in the interview room with trainer Freddy Head. Good of you to come and speak with us. This one unlike the other three, but diminishes nothing as her incredible career as a race horse and as a Breeders' Cup campaigner. First of all, Freddy, can you express any disappointment that you may feel right now just that she wasn't able to pull off four in a row?
FREDDY HEAD: No, not at all. We were a very good run. We had the race we wanted him to have. She came out, looked like she was going to win for a moment. Now I don't think she can sustain the same speed. She does a little thing for only the half, and then she doesn't seem to be able to follow on that.
She's done that the last couple of races that we've run with her. So you know, that's life. Maybe the mileage and the years have taken their toll.
THE MODERATOR: Freddy, now that the mare of a lifetime's racing career is over, what are your feelings?
FREDDY HEAD: Well, I'm very pleased. I've lived great moments because of her, and I'm very proud. I'm very happy because I think it's a nice way to finish. Although we didn't win, she did what she could do, and she tried her best.
Just today she wasn't good enough. That's all. But she'll go now in retirement as a brood mare, and hope all will go well. Maybe she'll have some yearlings and foals coming here too.
THE MODERATOR: We all look forward to that. What, if anything, did Olivier tell you after the race?
FREDDY HEAD: He said what I told you. He said, for a moment he came out, she didn't have much room. When she came out, she flew two strides, and he said, now I'm going to win. But he found that, when the others came, she didn't have anything more. She was gone.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. First of all, we all thank you for bringing her here four times, and your European counterparts. Where does the Breeders' Cup fit with European folks in general and with Champions Day and everything else? Will we see continued participation from a lot of Europeans here?
FREDDY HEAD: Of course it's very important -- it's a very important meeting. I mean, Breeders' Cup now is one of the greatest races in the world. So if you have a good horse, you want to come here and compete and try and win. I hope I can do that in the years to come, but with another horse.

Q. Mr. Head, many of the big races Goldikova has won, she has generally come off the pace several lengths. For example, last year she had an outside post position. Do you think the inside made her job more difficult because she was looking for some room and momentum was checked? Would that have made a difference?
FREDDY HEAD: No, not at all. She has won a lot of races that way following the leader and coming in straight quite soon. No, no, she had a perfect run.

Q. I saw her took the lead a little early in the stretch, and then when they came along, she could not fight back.
FREDDY HEAD: Absolutely. That's what I said. They were a few runs, including at Deauville, and we found excuses. So maybe she's lost a little bit of what she had that made her so great. But that's life. That's racing.

Q. Freddy, would you talk about Goldie's legacy for the game, where she fits in the big scheme of things in terms of racing history.
FREDDY HEAD: Well, I think winning 14 Grade 1 races and competing against the best every generation for four years and winning in England and America, I mean, something exceptional, winning three Breeders' Cups. I think they will say in history she has a place like one of the great horses of this past century.

Q. You have arguably been involved in two of the greatest horses in horse racing history, Yaz (phonetic) and Goldikova. Could you compare and contrast the two?
FREDDY HEAD: It's very difficult to compare. Yaz was a great mare too. I think Goldikova had a much tougher time. I think she has met better horses than Yaz, and I don't think Yaz could have gone on as long as Goldikova did. That's all. It's very easy to compare. They're exceptional horses, and I've been very lucky to ride one and train one.

Q. Mr. Head, during the training hours the other day, I think you said you just wanted Goldikova to run a good race in her last race, win or lose, and you would be satisfied. You seem a little sad actually. Do you feel satisfied, or is it somewhat disappointing?
FREDDY HEAD: No, no, I'm very, very happy for the moment. I'm very proud, very happy. I knew it was going to be hard. I knew for the Breeders' Cup, it's not something like that. I mean, it's very difficult to do.
For myself I'm very proud of her. Maybe the blues will come a little later.
THE MODERATOR: Freddy, have the Wertheimers given you any indication who she might be bred to?
FREDDY HEAD: I think they plan to send her to Galileo.

Q. If Goldie could redo the season, would you have run it or retired her last year?
FREDDY HEAD: No. I had four races, won two Group 1s, second in the others, third in the last one. I would do the same. It was a good thing to try. I mean, she runs -- she's still one of the best in the world. What can you say? There's nothing to regret, no.
But I want to thank Alain and Gerard Wertheimer for keeping her for so long, and I want to thank all the people who have been around her, like all the people in my yard and Olivier Peslier for being such a great rider.

Q. How do you feel with Goldikova the way that she -- she's a stout Philly. How do you feel about Galikova? Do you feel that she could be as successful as Goldie?
FREDDY HEAD: She runs on longer distances too. She's a mile, mile and a half, mile and a quarter mare, which makes the thing more difficult, I think. No, I don't think so. I don't think she'll go on so long, but she's a very talented mare too, great, great filly.
I think she wasn't well. There was a little virus in my yard that stopped her, but I think this year we'll win some other races with her. Maybe we can come back here with her.

Q. Mr. Head, last year I asked you if you would bring Goldikova early to race prior to the Breeders' Cup to give us all a chance to see her magnificence. Is there any chance you would do that with Galikova next year to bring her over a little early, or will we see her only in France and England?
FREDDY HEAD: I think Galikova is not a mare you can race a lot. I don't think we're going to race her many times this year. Our main goal will be the Arc. She wasn't well this year because we took her to Deauville in August. That was too hard to keep her formed for too long.
Next year we'll do a reentry before the Arc. I don't know what race yet. And then afterwards, if all goes well, we'll go to Santa Anita maybe because our owners, they love to come in here and competing in America.

Q. We love having you.
THE MODERATOR: Freddy, one thing is absolutely certain, and that's many years from now, when people look back on the great competitors in Breeders' Cup history, two names are going to come to mind, Goldikova and Freddy Head. We thank you so much for all the memories these last three years and this year also, and on behalf of everybody at Breeders' Cup, thanks for everything you've done for the event.
FREDDY HEAD: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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