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

Mark Casse (winning trainer of Classic Q)

“I told (jockey) John (Velazquez) I’d leave (the race plan) to him. She amazes me. What’s interesting is the last time she ran here at Keeneland (Bank of America Valley View-G2 in October 2025) she got left (at the gate). She was last going into the first turn and I didn’t think she’d run any good, but she ended up running well, finishing (second). (Today) Johnny got her to relax, and when he asked her to go — he said he could see (late leader and eventual runner-up) Lush Lips (GB) get through on the inside, and Johnny maybe said a bad word or something, but he was able to run her down, thank goodness.”

On purchasing Classic Q, by Classic Empire, a champion he also trained, for $40,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale

“I bought her for my wife and Hugh Dailey, one of our dearest friends — that’s (co-owner) Blue Crevalle (Racing) — and if anybody knows me, after they run good I sell them. But I was lucky that (co-owners) Gary Barber and Eclipse (Thoroughbred Partners) — they’ve been part of our team forever — they bought her and we get to train her. My wife reminds me sometimes that we maybe left a little on the table.”

Tyler Gaffalione (rider of runner-up and beaten favorite Lush Lips-GB)

“(The lead) just opened up a little too soon, and we got there too quick today. The issue was the filly on the outside (Classic Q) was so far away. There was probably about four or five paths between us. It just took me a little bit to let my get my filly over there to go see her. She did everything we were expecting her to do. She fired a big one for us.” 

Brian J. Hernandez Jr. (rider of third-place finisher Bless the Broken)

“She ran really, really good. We didn’t have the best post leaving out of the 10 hole, so we were a little farther back than we anticipated, but she came with a big run. To be third in a Grade 1 for her (second) time on the grass, she ran a really, really big race.