CORNELIO VELASQUEZ (Jockey, Closing Argument, Second) - "My horse did run good. I had a lot of horse. I think my horse tried very hard, he's a very good horse. He was in perfect condition today. He ran a big race."

JEREMY ROSE (Jockey, Afleet Alex, Third) - "He tried his ass off; he really did. I was screaming and hollering for him. You can feel when a horse is giving everything he had. He just had nothing left. I think that is the first time that I have seen a horse outside me that I could not get by."

Did the realization of riding in his first Derby cause any special emotions - "Actually, no. It was kind of funny. I didn't even think about it."

On the running of the race, Rose said - "It unfolded like we expected it to. A couple of speed horses went out there. I pretty much followed Jerry Bailey (on High Fly) most of the way through. At the top of the lane, I made a little room to get out. He had the opportunity and he gave it his best, and you can't ask for a whole lot more from a horse."

TYLER BAZE (Jockey, Don't Get Mad, Fourth) - "I had a perfect trip besides having to go wide around the three-eighths pole. There was so much traffic in front of me that I had to go. It was time to make a move and he wanted to do it. He got tired the last eighth, but he just ran last week. He ran a heck of a race and they better watch out next time, cause this horse is awesome. First time I rode him he didn't have lasix and he ran a really good race. He ran a monster race today. I can't wait to ride him back. I hope I get the honors to be on his back."

MARK GUIDRY (Jockey, Buzzards Bay, Fifth) - "He ran great today. Turning for home, I thought I was on the winner. He lost focus a little bit, but I am not making any excuses. He is a gutsy little horse."

COREY NAKATANI (Jockey, Wilko, Sixth) - "I moved at the same time as Mike (winner Mike Smith), but he had more horse than I did. I was moving great around the turn, a couple of lengths off of Mike, but he went on with it and my horse didn't."

JAVIER CASTELLANO (Jockey, Bellamy Road, Seventh) - "He ran well, and he seemed to handle the track well, but he just didn't have it today."

RAFAEL BEJARANO (Jockey, Andromeda's Hero, Eighth) - "My horse ran good. I tried to stay six or seven lengths behind. I tried to stay close. He finished strong. He was coming."

JORGE CHAVEZ (Jockey, Flower Alley, Ninth) -"I was in a great position on the backstretch, but a horse came near him and he hesitated. He never picked it up again after that. He had no punch when I asked him."

JERRY BAILEY (Jockey, High Fly, 10th) - "By the time we turned for home, I had inched my way between horses and made the lead. He was giving me the same feel he did at Gulfstream. They swamped me so bad I don't know (where he finished)."

KENT DESORMEAUX (Jockey, Greeley's Galaxy, 11th) - "The only incident I had was breaking a little flat-footed, but it put me in the perfect pace scenario spot. Tactically, I thought I was in a better situation than if he had broke running. It was indicative of what was going on in the front. They were bouncing off each other, pinching each other back. It was a mad dash for the lead. I liked where I was. I was in a nice spot."

PATRICK VALENZUELA (Jockey, Coin Silver, 12th) - "He ran OK He was eight to 10 lengths out early and I was very happy. He picked it up nice around the turn, but he couldn't catch up."

JOHN MCKEE (Jockey, Greater Good, 13th place) - "I had a good trip. The pace was pretty steaming. We got the nine and change but we just got unwind today. My horse came running at the end, but unfortunately they just didn't back up as quick as I thought they would."

GARY STEVENS (Jockey, Noble Causeway, 14th) - "He was really, really rank with me early. I thought he would be easy to get back, but we left there like a quarter horse. He was rank with me, and I was getting killed down inside and I was trying to get out of a spot and about got dropped. Then I was going all right, but I was out of horse turning on to the backstretch. He would not relax for me at all."

EDGAR PRADO (Jockey, Sun King, 15th) - "He broke fine and was running OK for a while, but he had no finish."

JOE BRAVO (Jockey, Spanish Chestnut, 16th) - "He ran his race. He was out there like he was supposed to be. He ran hard."

BRICE BLANC (Jockey, Sort it Out, 17th) - "The race went good, like I thought it would. He made his run, but he just got outrun. It's tough to close from the one hole. He's a one pace horse. There's really no excuse."

JOSE VALDIVIA, JR. (Jockey, Going Wild, 18th) - "He got real hot. It made the difference."

JOHN VELAZQUEZ (Jockey, Bandini, 19th) - "We had a good position early, but he didn't take to getting hit with dirt at all. He was never comfortable at any time in the race, and when I tried to ask him for run, he never leveled off."

RAMON DOMINGUEZ (Jockey, High Limit, 20th) - "He put himself in a good position. I was happy with where he was sitting early on, but after a half-mile he got real tired. He got outrun from there."

KIARAN McLAUGHLIN (Trainer, Closing Argument, Second) - "He ran great. It was the thrill of a lifetime for an eighth of a mile. He's one hell of a horse who might now start getting some respect."

TIM RITCHEY (Trainer, Afleet Alex, Third) - "We ran third and got beat by two horses who ran better races. The entire country now has an awareness of Alex's Lemonade Stand and that's a great thing.

"It was hard to see. The first turn, everything looked fine. Obviously the fast pace is what we expected. Jeremy said he ran his race and thought we had it for a little while. I thought we had a heck of a shot at the eighth pole."

As for the Preakness? - "On to Pimlico."

About the Derby experience and this year's upset finish - "It's America's race and America likes to see the underdogs."

JEFF MULLINS (Trainer, Buzzards Bay, Fifth) - "We were really proud of him. He ran a good race. We couldn't be any happier. I'm glad for John Shirreffs and the Mosses; it couldn't happen to better people. I guess the Santa Anita Derby was more productive than everyone thought.

As for the Preakness? - "Probably not. We may go home, regroup and take a look at the Belmont."

CRAIG DOLLASE (Trainer, Wilko, Sixth) - " He ran considerably well considering he bled. On the scale, he bled a three out of five when we scoped him. He had a legitimate excuse and he ran considerably well. It was surprising to see how well the California horses ran. We all ran well out there.

On what is next for Wilko - "We'll wait a day or two and monitor the horse."

NICK ZITO (Trainer, Bellamy Road, Seventh; Andromeda's Hero, Eighth; High Fly, 10th; Noble Causeway, 14th; Sun King, 15th) - It's disappointing. It looked pretty good turning for home with High Fly and Bellamy Road but it didn't happen for us today. You look at the horses everyone was talking about and only (Afleet) Alex ran well. We'll have something for the Preakness, I just don't know who just yet."

On what happened - "I don't know really. I don't know what happened. It's racing, obviously, and I guess you just keep trying. You just have to salute the winners. It just shows you what a great game this is, a tough game. That's what makes the game so amazing, you know?

On what he was most surprised by - The outcome. I thought our horses were prepared good. I really don't know what to say except regroup and hope my horses are OK."

On Sun King's position - "He was in a pretty good position. I guess Noble Causeway got checked pretty sharp and there was a hot pace obviously."

TODD PLETCHER (Trainer, Flower Alley, ninth; Coin Silver, 12th; Bandini, 19th) - "It seems Bandini was fighting the dirt the whole time...the other two ran respectably, I thought. We'll regroup and come back next year."

PATRICK BIANCONE (Trainer, Spanish Chestnut, 16th) - "He's a front runner and they pressured him a little. He had a lot of speed, which was to be expected, but everybody was with him. He still had the lead on the (final) turn and was still with them in the stretch until he became too tired, I think around the eighth pole.

"We will not go to the Preakness. He's run nine times and we'll give him a break now."

D. WAYNE LUKAS (Trainer, Going Wild, 18th) - "We had a good trip, we just didn't have it when the running started. Salute the winner."

BOBBY FRANKEL (Trainer, High Limit, 20th) - "Somebody jumped on him from behind, he got pretty cut up. He grabbed both hind quarters and was bleeding a lot. Must have happened around the eighth pole the first time around."

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