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

Frankie Dettori (winning rider of Khaadem-IRE)

“(The pace) was the easy part. The hardest part is getting to the start and into the gate. He’s a 9-year-old gelding, but he can be a handful. For some reason, today he was calmer than usual. He fluffed the start but it didn’t matter because he likes a target. For a minute, I thought to go through them but it looked a bit tight, so I thought, ‘Just get him out.’ He’s an old fox, and today he decided to put his best foot forward and he won as he liked. He’s a character. Sometimes he doesn’t turn up, but today he did.”

Charlie Hills (winning trainer)

“He’s been training here since (finishing third in the Mint Kentucky Turf Sprint-G2 at) Kentucky Downs a month ago, so he is into a nice routine. I was a little bit worried about how quiet he was, to be honest with you. He’s 9 years old, he’s won some fantastic races in his career and I just think he likes being out here. He’s just gotten used to the different way of training. I think it’s just sparked him up. Ed Vaughan — we go back a long way— he and I looked after him the last few weeks and he did a fantastic job. He’s got his old spark back, so hopefully we might look at the Breeders’ Cup in a few weeks’ time.”

On why Khaadem is so special to him:

“Like I say, he’s 9 years old and he won his first race as a 2-year-old, so we go back a long way. He’s won some fantastic races back in England — two Jubilees at Royal Ascot — and he’s won some amazing prize money, so he’s given us all a lot of joy. Horses have such good characters and he’s certainly got one.”

John Velazquez (rider of runner-up Script)

“Coming to the sixteenth pole, I thought I was going to win it. At that sixteenth pole, another horse showed up. I couldn’t believe that, though. I’m good. Very good.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of fourth-place finisher and beaten favorite Governor Sam)

“He was sprinting and he was going a good decent pace. I think I was in control where I was, I just rode my horse. He gave a good run.”