Michael Matz Quotations

My assistant said he didn't have any problems with the track, and hopefully he doesn't.

I feel very fortunate and thankful that we were OK. That's all you can be. You go on with life.

He worked great and is ready to go.

He went very well. He had a nice work. I'm very pleased with the way he is right now and if everything continues to go well, we're ready to run.

He went real nice. For right now, we don't need to do any more than we're doing. We've still got four weeks to go.

I think he can do whatever he's asked to do until he shows he can't do it.

I was nervous about it, They're all in the same boat.

We have to take care of the kids.

We have a fresh horse. I really don't see that big a deal of it, but everybody did. If this horse would have lost, I think I would have been lynched tomorrow.

The pilot did a terrific job getting the plane down. We were lucky enough to survive that crash. It's something you're grateful for, and I guess it just wasn't my time ...

We thought he was a good horse from day one. This horse makes me shiver when I see him work on the dirt. He really does have a lot of talent.

Whatever we've asked him so far he's done, so we're going to try the dirt now and if he doesn't handle it, we'll still know that we have an exceptional turf horse. He'd only worked one time on the grass before his last race, and he's trained well on the dirt.

Brother Derek is four weeks instead of five. I don't know what the big deal about this is. All his races have been run in five or six weeks. I don't see any problem.

Everything continues to be great. We're just keeping our fingers crossed now.

That's it. There's not that much more to do. Most of the final touches have been done.

It's a short run to the first turn, but he should be able to put himself in a good spot right behind Sharp Humor, who figures to set the pace. Naturally I'd like to be closer to the inside, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Everybody seems to have questions about this or that, but he's worked fine and done everything we've asked of him coming up to the race. He couldn't be better.

I try not to think about it. The times you think about it are when you are on a plane and you hit some turbulence and you hope it doesn't happen again. Right now, you can't help but get on airplanes and fly. I'm just thankful my wife and I were OK. Then, you go on with life. You can't use that as a crutch not to do anything.

So far, he's answered everything that's been asked of him. I'm sure sooner or later he's going to get beat, but it hope it's later rather than sooner.

That's everyone's concern. In a 20-horse field, you can get knocked out before you get to the first turn. Nothing you can do about that.

I hope we have a fresh horse come the first Saturday in May.

If people wouldn't try to cheat, this would never happen. I don't want to be starting here when the other guy is starting up there.

But he recovered quickly and did what he needed to do. What more can you ask for?

He's the real deal. I think I have a very good horse. He's the type of horse that gives me that confidence he can do it. My job right now is to do the very best I can for him. One thing that's different from my Olympic experience, I was on the horse and had to do it myself. I have no control once the race starts now.

The man sitting beside me was asking (about the races), so I was trying to explain it when one of the engines went, plus the hydraulics. After that, it was sort of every man for himself.

All his races, he's been right off the pace and has been able to keep himself out of trouble. Whether he can do that in a 20-horse field, I don't know.

All the horsemen I've spoken to, don't have a problem with it.