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

Mark Casse (winning trainer of Papilio-IRE)

“I didn’t draw up (the plan for her to come from far back). I always tell them, ‘How many races have you won? ‘Cause I’ve won zero riding,’ so I don’t really give them many instructions. She has an amazing turn of foot. If she ever learns to run a straight line, who knows how good she is? She isn’t really a tricky filly. She’s actually a sweetie. She just runs in different directions. I think once she ‘gets it’ around here she’s going to be very tough. So keep your fingers crossed and we’ll head to Churchill after this. Today was big. Yesterday was a rough day (going 0-for-6 including in three stakes); you go home licking your wounds. Today’s a better day.”

Javier Castellano (winning rider)

“She really (picked it up). I like the way she did it today. I rode her like a European horse: covered up, covered up until the top of the stretch and let her see the finish line. I liked the way she picked it up quick, the way she finished really good. I didn’t have to use her much – just pilot a little bit all the way to the wire. She really did (duck in a little bit late). She saw the finish line, all the crowd – I think she was looking around a little bit. I was very happy. I liked the way she did it. Very satisfied.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of runner-up Cairo Consort)

“Beautiful trip, can’t complain. We just got beat today. (At the gate before the start) I jumped off because she’s a little like that. I know her. I’ve been doing that the past couple times, so why not today?”

Florent Geroux (rider of third-place finisher Heavenly Sunday)

“The trip was really easy,  it went very good. I took command and was going to slow it down a bit on the backside. She tried hard and went good.”

Tyler Gaffalione (rider of beaten favorite and fifth-place finisher Pleasant Passage)

“She was in a good position. She just didn’t really fire today, but she pulled up good and came back happy so we live to fight another day.”