2007 Memorial Day weekend at Belmont Park - part 2

Trainer Jimmy Jerkens, winning his first Met Mile, said, "When I saw him break and laying that close, I knew we were in business. He ran to his workout the other day. When he is juicy and on the muscle, he's right. Usually, horses get worse the closer they get to the gate. He settled down once he got with the pony. I thought we had Lawyer Ron, and then I said, `Oh my God, here comes `The Chief' (his father Allen, trainer of Political Force).' We were going one at a time, worrying about this race. We'll have to discuss it with his owners where he goes next. We were willing to throw out the Excelsior to get ready for this one. He broke his maiden going a mile. The work a week ago (five furlongs in a bullet :58 on May 21) was beyond anything I ever saw. I never had a horse do what he did. He was just strong all the way. He was terrific all week. I thought if he didn't run good today, he just wasn't good enough."