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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPSNovember 2, 2013Bob BaffertMary WestGary WestARCADIA, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile is New Year's Day, trained by Bob Baffert on the right, owned by Gary and Mary west, also joining us here. Congratulations to you all. Bob Baffert, this is your third win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, ninth Breeders' Cup win overall. Can you take us through the race and just give us your impressions and also, especially, him coming up the rail at the end in the finish? BOB BAFFERT: Well, I told Martin, don't get distracted. Ride this horse. We know he's a really good horse. He's steady. You know, he's not a speed ball. I said don't get caught up in the track bias. Ride your horse, not the track. If he gets there, he gets there. If not, he's going to get something good out of it. We're looking down the road. So when he turned for home in that spot back there, he did the best job he could to keep him as clean as possible, but he didn't panic early and he rode a great race. He just bided his time and didn't get caught up in all the speed tactics. So when he turned for home, I knew about 16th pole that this colt, he's shown me, we've been really high on him since Del Mar. I told Gary and Mary, I think we have a good one here. When Garrett Gomez rode him, he said when the switch goes on, the light goes on, he's really going to be a good horse. So I could see the last couple of works there he was really, really coming around. He's got a good way about him, good head. He's not a speedy, speed‑crazy kind of horse. He showed today what he's made of. It takes a pretty tough animal to‑‑ especially a young horse to take all of that kickback the way this track is and still come on and win. And really, he wasn't really that tired. THE MODERATOR: It's unusual to make your Stakes debut in a $2 million race. Could you talk about at which point you decided that he was going to go in this race? You just talked about his many attributes, but at what point specifically did you maybe tell the Wests that the Breeders' Cup Juvenile was a definite? BOB BAFFERT: When he broke his maiden, he ran really well the first time. Coming off the one turn, then he looked fantastic when he went two turns. I got him up here, and he had a little bit of a‑‑ not really sick, just a slight fever, lost a little time with him, but he wasn't a hundred percent. I could have easily run him in the Stake here, but I told them let's pass this. I can get him ready. And Gary has been really behind me. He said if you think you can get him ready, get him ready. So we were working him along, and so here we are today. I'm still‑‑ it's pretty exciting for him for what he's done to win this race. It just shows you it takes a way‑above average horse, young horse, to do what he did today. Not only is it excite to go win a Breeders' Cup race, but you know the minute he hit the wire, I started thinking the first Saturday in May, like they did. But it was a very‑‑ to me and for my wife, Jill, it's a very emotional win because she wasn't here earlier. She was on her way when that filly got hurt. It just‑‑ when you lose a horse like that, it just takes all the‑‑ it just took all the wind out of our sails. These horses are so close to us, and when a tragedy happens like that, and I'm just glad that Johnny V, sounds like he's going to be okay. So, it's just one of those things that it's just I've never had something like that happen on a big day. For it to happen, we're all still in shock. Just the win is exciting, but you still, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking about that filly. Q. Getting back to New Year's Day, this is your first Breeders' Cup win after so many big Stakes wins over the years. Talk about the thrill of finally getting a Breeders' Cup win? GARY WEST: We've had a lot of nice wins, and we've won a lot of Group 1 races, but this is by far the biggest accomplishment that Mary and I have ever achieved in horse racing. I think when everybody takes a look at what's happened over the last couple of days with the incredible speed bias, I'm not complaining about it, it is what it is, that's occurred, and when you go watch the replay of this race to see the amount of ground that this horse made up, I think it's going to be an incredibly impressive race when the sports writers and all the equine analysts take a look at this. I think it's going to be a pretty special race. THE MODERATOR: Bob, you mentioned the first Saturday in May and the fact that this is a true distance horse and the style that you showed today would be conducive to Triple Crown races. So can you tell us what you might already be thinking in terms of a campaign and what does he do now? BOB BAFFERT: Well, we'll just take our time with him. I haven't really planned anything out. The thing is to keep him healthy, that's number one. We'll make our long‑term goal is the Derby, and hopefully ‑‑ one thing Gary and Mary, they put a lot of money into the game. Gary has been wanting a really big horse to go to the Derby, a big horse to win these big races. It's duck or no dinner in the Gary West camp. Let's get a good one or we'll find another one. It's just, you have to go, and he knows, you have to go and sometimes buy a lotto horse. There is always that one that's going to come up. He looks really special, but I just really will take my time with him. Gary is a very patient guy, so we'll just take it race by race and give him a few preps. Just keeping him healthy, that is the main goal. THE MODERATOR: Martin Garcia wasn't able to join us up here, but this is his first Breeders' Cup win. He was able to ride Game On Dude last time as well. Can you talk about Martin as a rider? BOB BAFFERT: Well, Martin, this is a really huge breakthrough for him. He really needed this. You know, he's just got‑‑ he's a natural talent. He really, this was‑‑ I told him this is your time to shine. You don't get opportunities like this. He works really hard. He gets these horses ready for me and works all the good horses. So it was almost like it was really good that he finally had settled. He didn't panic. He rode a race like you need to ride in a big event like this. So I was really proud of the way he rode this horse. Just really came through. It was just‑‑ you know, you're happy when you know you have a talented horse and he gets a chance to run. When they turn for home, you have a chance to root. I mean, that's what we all hope for. When they turn for home, give me a chance to root for my horse, because when they're not running at the top of the stretch‑‑ So, this game can be brutal. You know, the highs and lows are just so steep. I can't really‑‑ I've had some really good moments, some great moments. I've had some really sad moments. So you just‑‑ we get up every day and come to work and win, lose or draw. We still love them, those animals, no matter where they run. It's very emotional when you lose one. THE MODERATOR: Mary, thinking ahead, I believe you mentioned on the NBC Sports broadcast that the first Saturday of May in 2014 is going to be a special date for you. MARY WEST: It's usually around our anniversary. THE MODERATOR: Right around your anniversary? That wouldn't be too bad. MARY WEST: No, we've been married 45 years (laughing). BOB BAFFERT: That is a lot of pressure. MARY WEST: That is a lot of pressure. Q. Bob, up to this point, the Juvenile has been kind of a contrary indicator of Derby success. Do you have a theory on why it's been so difficult for the winners here to win at Churchill Downs? BOB BAFFERT: I think a lot of times the Juvenile Colts Race is won by a horse that's very precocious. The two‑year‑olds that have a lot of speed, carry their speed. When you have a horse like this that comes from off the pace, like he does, like Street Sense, when he won was sort of the same. Like your horse came up the rail and won like that. He was just getting going. So it's a difference. You can tell when you watch the race, well, the horse ran a great race, but you know down the road the pedigree might get to him or whatever. But you still need a lot of luck to get there. I mean, this horse fits the mold where he can take the distance is not a factor. Just keeping him healthy and keeping him happy. That is a big factor. THE MODERATOR: Well, Bob, we know you have a couple more chances today, so we wish you luck, and all of you, congratulations on an impressive win in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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