DAYTONA STAKE QUOTES

VICTOR ESPINOZA, CONQUEST TSUNAMI, WINNER: “It was an excellent trip. There was just one way to go. I broke in front and kept my position all the way to the wire. I think for him, the main thing is to let him go and just run his race. I felt he was going pretty quick but he was doing it so easily so I was pretty much a passenger. I just wanted to make sure he crossed the dirt OK and then let him really run in the stretch.

“The way he ran today, and this is obviously the first time I’ve been on him, but he’s pretty amazing. It takes nothing away from the other two horses who ran second and third, who are good horses, but he was much the best today.”



JOEL ROSARIO, STORMY LIBERAL, SECOND:  “He ran well, but it looked like the winner ran a real big race. My horse tried hard, but we just couldn’t catch that horse.”

TRAINER QUOTES



 PETER MILLER, CONQUEST TSUNAMI, WINNER, STORMY LIBERAL SECOND AND CALCULATOR THIRD: “Unbelievable. They all showed up, they got three great rides, and we’ve got three great owners.

“That was kind of the plan (to have Conquest Tsunami in front). We thought Conquest was the quickest, even though Calculator went 20 and four (for the first quarter) last time, but that’s not him. That was just an aberration. He was extra keen that day. This race kind of went to plan, they all got good trips, maybe Stormy Liberal was a little further back than I would have liked, but for his first race since Hong Kong, I thought he went well. All three of them ran super.”



GARY BARBER, OWNER, CONQUEST TSUNAMI, WINNER:  “The way he runs, maybe we’ll try Dubai, if we get invited. He did well with Mark Casse (at Woodbine, Toronto, Canada), but I thought he wanted firmer turf. He loves the downhill here, he really does. This course is perfect for him.”