October 30, 2015
An Interview With:
TODD PLETCHER
JAVIER CASTELLANO
THE MODERATOR: All right. Ladies and
gentlemen, now we are joined by the winning jockey
and trainer from the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Javier
Castellano and Todd Pletcher. This is Todd's
second Breeders' Cup Distaff win to go with Ashado
in 2004. Congrats to you both.
Javier, let's start with you and talk about the
trip that you got much better than last time at
Saratoga. Just tell us about the trip.
JAVIER CASTELLANO: I had a beautiful
trip in the race. And the way they handicap the race,
we supposed to [indiscernible] before the race. I
see a lot of spin. I like to start a good position in the
race, especially in the first turn. A lot of horses, a
big field.
It worked out perfect. I go out of the gate, I
put it in full position, all the way in the race in the
backside. I think the key was in the first turn where
I put the horse head right behind the Wedding Toast
and put it outside. All control the race, I think it was
the key to win the race.
THE MODERATOR: You did come out a
little bit in the stretch. Can you just tell us what
happened there in the final -JAVIER CASTELLANO: You cannot hear.
Breeders' Cup is a lot of big crowd, a lot of people.
The screen board, you know, it's so bright. And all
the motion, I think the filly, she is just kind of shy a
little bit, just drift a little bit. But you always just try
to keep my horse straight.
I think the other horses locking into and
here right on top of my horse. My goal was to keep
a straight horse and move forward.
THE MODERATOR: Todd, now I'd like to
hear just about how this race unfolded differently
today from in the Personal Ensign.
TODD PLETCHER: Well, to me, the real
key was the decision was not to run back after the
Personal Ensign. Having the benefit of knowing this
filly for the third year now that we've trained her, two,
three and now four. She tends to run some of her
best races fresh.
I felt confident that she would train well
enough that we could have her ready to run a big
race and felt like if we ran in the Spinster or the
Beldame or one of those races in between that she
might not fire her A shot.
She's a very easy filly to read. When she's
on her game, she trains exceptionally well, and I felt
really confident after a breeze here on Sunday that
she was coming into the race as well as she could.
THE MODERATOR: And even before that,
in New York, she touted herself in the last few -TODD PLETCHER: She had the benefit of
being here since September 30th, so she'd had a
full month here. When they decided to have the
Breeders' Cup here at Keeneland, we felt like we'd
change strategies a little bit and try to get most of
the horses here and let them acclimate for the
month, at least for today it paid off.
THE MODERATOR: We talked to Kiki
about the acquisition of this filly, and she said she
talked to you, and can you just tell us a little bit from
your perspective what you told them a year ago
when they showed some interest, that she was
already in your barn, of course. What did you tell
them then?
TODD PLETCHER: She had won the
Coaching Club in the Alabamas as a three-year-old.
I was actually a little surprised that a lot of people
kind of overlooked her at the Fasig-Tipton sale last
year. So when she didn't meet reserve, Mike
Repole struck up a deal with them.
As happy as I am for the Courtelises, I feel
a little bit bad for Mike because he's a great client
and I'm sure it's not easy for him to watch her win at
the same time. But he was well compensated and
so he'll have some more Breeders' Cup for himself,
I'm sure.
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THE MODERATOR: Can you just give us
some quick impressions of your other two in the
race, Curalina ran big to get third.
TODD PLETCHER: Actually, I thought she
ran huge. She was making a big move splitting
horses down the back side. When a seam opened
up on the rail, I thought they might battle it out. Joel,
talking to him afterwards, said he thought she was
just a little bit intimidated when things got tight and
lost her momentum a bit. I thought it was a huge
effort from her. She's an awfully good filly as well.
Got lucky. I got to see the replay. I know
Irad was trying to make up some ground. From the
12 post, he was kind of hung out wide all the way
around there. She ran just a bit evenly around the
stretch.
THE MODERATOR: Very good.
Q. The decision to bring the horses here
early and why that change in strategy?
TODD PLETCHER: Well, the past few
years, it's been at Santa Anita. And New York to
Santa Anita is a tough trip, not only for the horses,
but for me as a trainer to be back and forth.
So I felt like that our results the last few
years haven't been as good as we were hoping for.
So because it was at Keeneland, it's an easier
commute. We felt like we had confidence that the
track would drain well if we had a wet fall and that it
might be an advantage to be here and train over the
track.
It worked out well today. Who's to say they
wouldn't have run the same if they shipped in from
New York. But feel good about the decision right
now.
THE MODERATOR: Todd, we weren't able
to catch up with you earlier about Liam's Map. Can
you give us impressions about that incredible effort?
TODD PLETCHER: It was an amazing
effort. I think everyone sort of knew, coming in, that
he's a horse that has a lot of early speed and he's
brilliant at times and sort of his strength has been
he runs horses off their feet. He's the type of horse,
he's so fast that if you try to go with him, it's suicidal.
If you let him go, you got no chance of catching up.
Today, for him to overcome some adversity
and still win as impressively as he did, now he's kind
of put the whole package together. Speed and
brilliance and courage and everything you're hoping
for in a good one.
TODD PLETCHER: I felt like today, we had
some of our best chances, and people have been
kind of asking me who is your best chance. I said
the fillies in the Distaff are training well.
Liam's Map is certainly going to be our
shortest prize. I think Rachel's Valentina is doing
exceptionally well. She's a filly we've always liked a
lot.
Tomorrow a couple fillies in the Sprint,
that's a very tough race. They're both doing very
well. It will be a tough race to win. Red Rifle and
Mshawish, the turf races look as good as I've seen.
The depth of the European form is really, really
strong.
But any time you come into these events
and the horses are running well and race day won
early on the card, makes you feel good at least
about your preparation and hopefully you've done
your part and put them in the best position to
perform as well as they can.
THE MODERATOR: Any last questions for
the Breeders' Cup Distaff winners? Gentlemen,
congratulations and thank you for your time.
TODD PLETCHER: Thank you.
JAVIER CASTELLANO: Thanks a lot.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
Q. Are your two wins today an omen for
tomorrow?
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