Miss Temple City © Benoit Photo

 

EDGAR PRADO (Miss Temple City, winner) – “The trick with her is to get her to settle early. We got a good spot early and in the first eighth of a mile she was relaxed. She was just going easy. We turned for home and I asked and she was there. I had some extra and I needed it. She’s a special horse.”

FLORENT GEROUX (Roca Rojo, second) – “She hesitated on me – just for a second. Then she picked it up and went. But that little bit might have cost us the race. She ran great, but I think we could have won it today.”

DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Stays in Vegas, third) – “She’s got a nice turn of foot and we caught an easy lead. The fractions weren’t much at all and she was going fine. She fired, ```fired big. But she just got beat by two of the best mares in the country.”

IRAD ORTIZ, JR. (Mexican Gold, fourth) – “I got stuck down inside and couldn’t get out. If I get out, I might be right there.”

H. GRAHAM MOTION (Miss Temple City, winner) – “She won by a little farther than I thought she did (looking at the photo finish shot).  I had a little bit of a sick feeling in my stomach when they hit the wire. I was a little bit worried at the top of the stretch as well. I think we were a little too cute with her earlier in the year trying to get her covered up and take too much of a hold on her. She’s got a lot of natural speed and the key is to get her settled. Edgar figured that out the first time he rode her. It’s really gratifying to end the year this way. I hated to see her getting beat all the time. She had a rough patch in the summer. Hopefully we’ll be here at this time of year next year.” 

 

 

FRACTIONS:  :23.51  :48.04  1:12.26  1:23.68  1:35.16

 

This was the first stakes win at Del Mar for rider Prado.

 

This was the third stakes win of the meet for trainer Motion. He now has five stakes wins at Del Mar.