Kimura and Trendsetter after the Lexington Stakes, Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire Photo
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Keeneland Press
Kazushi Kimura (winning rider of Trendsetter)
“I learned from his last race at Turfway (the Rushaway March 21), he’s always kind of a need-to-keep-pushing horse. Since the last race to today, he’s been able to show speed from the gate. I was very comfortable right behind the front horses, and when I swung him out he responded very beautiful.”
Ben Colebrook (trainer of Trendsetter)
“After the race at Turfway (Rushaway March 21) — we were looking around and there just wasn’t anywhere to really run him. I know his numbers weren’t stacking up against these horses, but I had a little feeling he could maybe get a piece of it, with the way he’s been training since the last race. I think it’s a big deal training at Keeneland year-round and to have a horse that knows this course and has been here. He kind of is a grinder, so I figured back to long on the dirt was kind of what he wanted to do. He’s just never had a chance to do it.”
On whether he was surprised at the result
“I wouldn’t say I was surprised. I thought he was going to run good. I definitely didn’t think that kind of performance was there, but I thought we were going to see some improvement, and if he improved, then he was going to be kind of right there with these horses and get a piece of it.”
Luis Saez (rider of runner-up The Hell We Did)
“It was a beautiful trip. Perfect trip. He broke in the lead, actually. He’s a horse that came from 6 furlongs, so we didn’t want to be on the engine too early. He ran pretty well. Coming to the three-eighths pole, I thought we were going to win. He got a little tired since it was his first time (racing a) long(er distance). After that race, he’s going to be pretty tough.”
Todd Fincher (trainer of The Hell We Did)
“He has only run 6 furlongs so we were hoping there would be three or four go to the front and we could just chill back there but the pace wasn’t super fast. He relaxes really well and he put himself in the race but he is probably not fit enough for that. We are happy with him and he will only improve from here. Next (race), I don’t know. I had envisioned a great race and a win and then go to the Preakness (G1) (on May 16) but that is a long ways away and we have options. I think the next time he goes two turns he will be better. I am thinking of taking him back to (Lone Star Park in) Dallas. That way, he can get on a plane and go anywhere we want to go.”
Brian Hernandez Jr. (rider of third-place finisher Corona de Oro)
“My horse ran well. It was only his second time going around two turns and from the one hole. He’s a lightly raced horse, but he handled the pressure down on the inside. We had that seven horse (The Hell We Did) up on us the whole way around, and for a young horse like that, sometimes they won’t take to the pressure. But he handled it well.”
