Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with winning connections.

Christophe Lorieul (assistant to Christophe Clement, winning trainer of Roses for Debra)

“She had a break after Breeders’ Cup (when off the board in the Turf Sprint-G1) and came to Kentucky to reach the top of her form. She came to Payson Park (training center in Florida) over the winter, she was training great over there; (they had) a mild winter. She’s just a lovely mare. 

“To do that (win today) off her layoff, it’s amazing, she ran great today. A touch rusty at the three-sixteenth pole and I got a bit worried, but then from the eighth pole on she overtook the leaders and won going away.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (winning rider)

“I was happy with my early position. There were a couple of horses going in front of me and I was able to save some ground and get to the fence real quick. I saved that ground on the turn and just waited until time to go. Like (assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul) told me, ‘Try to wait and keep her together as long as you can.’ Turning for home, I was still holding her, and then I let her go and she gave me everything she’s got. She showed she’s a nice filly. (Coming down the lane) she took like three jumps (to get going).”

Joel Rosario (rider of runner-up Love Reigns [IRE])

“Very good. She broke really well, being on the outside. She had a good race. It looked like for a second we were going to beat them, but she ran a great race. She handled everything well, and it looked like it was a good pace.”

Luis Saez (rider of third-place finisher Elm Drive)

“Pretty good trip. We broke (from the starting gate) pretty well. We were expecting that position. The track was a little bit soft for her. In the turn, she kind of spun her wheels. She came to the stretch and got ahold of it a little bit. We just got beat.”