Continental Divide © Benoit Photo

VICTOR ESPINOZA (Continental Divide, winner) – “That was a nice move; a really nice move (the winner put in around the turn). He can do that; he’s talented. When he ran the first time, he was green. I didn’t want to force him that day. He’s got time to learn. He looks like he could be a good horse. The breeding is good and he’s a Cal-bred, so that opens a lot of doors. He’ll run on, too.” 

EVIN ROMAN (Smokem, second) – The (inside) post didn’t help. He was away a little slow, but he came running. A good race for him.”

JOE TALAMO (Drizzy, third) – “We got banged by the one inside us and the other one outside. It cost us at least a couple of lengths. But he still ran well. Good race for him.”

JAMES CASSIDY (Continental Divide, winner) – “That move he made scared me to death. I’m thinking Victor (Espinoza) you might be a little premature here. But what a nice colt. And he wants to go farther so that’s a good thing. That price we paid for him ($250,000) looks like a fair one now. Right from day one he has never, ever let anything bother him. You can set a bomb off next to him and he doesn’t care. He’s got the greatest mind. He’s not fully prepared yet. I’d like to see a little more weight on him and a little more color in him and get a little bigger and stronger. We’ll give him a chance now and see when he makes me run him again.”  

FRACTIONS: :21.81 :45.94 :58.66 1:05.27

The stakes win was the third of the meet for rider Espinoza and his third in the Graduation. He now has 93 stakes wins at Del Mar, eighth-best of all time.

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Cassidy and his first in the Graduation. He now has 16 stakes wins at Del Mar.