Quotes from the $400,000 Lafayette

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

Tommy Pompell (winning rider of Old Homestead, his first stakes winner at Keeneland and his first winner at the track since the 2010 Fall Meet)

On how easy was it cruising on the front end

“He took it very well. When I rode him the other two times we just put him out there on the front end and he seems like he does it so easy. Then when I asked him a little bit, he was gone.”

On where the win ranks among his career victories

“On top.” 

On coming back to the winner’s circle at Keeneland on a stakes horse

“It felt great.”

Brett Brinkman (winning trainer)  

On why he was confident Old Homestead could get the 7 furlongs

“We watched him all winter and then I worked him three-quarters at Evangeline [Downs in Louisiana] before we shipped up, and he gave me every indication he could get the distance.”

On what a native of Lafayette, Louisiana, does to celebrate winning the Lafayette Stakes

“I’ll probably have to have one drink and a good meal.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of runner-up Surfer Dude)

“I got a perfect trip, the winner just ran away from me. The winner looked pretty relaxed on the lead, but I just rode my horse with confidence. When I tried to (get closer), the winner just ran away from me. Second best today.”

Luis Saez (rider of beaten favorite My Prankster, who finished fourth)

“He broke pretty well. He broke right there with them. At the half-mile, I feel like everyone else just kept going a