Derby Quotations

Marcel Desailly was pretty hard when I played against him in a Milan derby.

I hold the record now with Dixie Dean for being the only Everton player to score three Merseyside derby goals at Anfield. I still hope to better it. Things like that, the fans never forget.

A Home Run Derby is fun. It's just like taking batting practice, and you just want to go deep. Guys do it every day. Yes, there's a little more pressure when they pull that cage back, but if you practice properly, it shouldn't affect the second half of your season at all.

Football is only once a week. NASCAR is once a week. Those sports are insanely popular. Horse racing is oversaturated. Unless tracks cut back to three days a week of full fields, a lot of people will really hurt down the road. Horse racing, to survive, has to go to that. Let's face it: Churchill Downs only does well on Derby Week.

There's a roller derby girl that goes by that name, 'Nerd Rage,' and she named herself after my album.

There are certain things you need to do and winning derby games is one of them. We have a new owner and we'll have a traveling contingent so we need to perform and I'm confident that we will.

We've always felt he would be a better horse around two turns, and he trained better going into the Tampa Bay Derby than he did the Sam Davis.

Vertex shares may not be for the faint-hearted at these price levels. However, the hepatitis C derby is just that: a race. Should Vertex not stumble or encounter unforeseen obstacles prior to approval, $35 will wind up looking like an early exit point.

We've got half of it done. But we've got Derby (on the road Thursday) and that will be a tough game.

The Manchester Derby is bigger and more important than El Classico.

There are no excuses and there will be no excuses on Wednesday night in a game for the fans. It is a massive game for the players as well, a derby match and our biggest game of the season.

There are a lot of complicated estate tax matters to consider but I think the children are going to keep Lawyer Ron, at least through the Kentucky Derby. Mr. Hines absolutely didn't want to sell this horse. This was his Derby horse.

When you ran out the tunnel at the old Easter Road for a derby game, you'd get a spittal right on the back of your head. They were spitting on you as you ran out, which actually helped get you going. It was some place.

We're short on numbers. We're trying to negotiate a deal with Derby because we need all the bodies we can get at the minute.

Last year was a rush job. That's how the Derby ruins you. We're lucky we got out of that in one piece with this horse.

So many people are thinking they have a Derby horse that we're going to need a big effort.

She's a phenomenal female. Whenever we schooled her on the farm with 20 to 24 others, she always had the fastest time. We saw her potential and sent her to Wheeling. Now she's shining at Derby Lane.

My friend Charlie McCarthy is, of course, much more of a celebrity than he was 13 years ago... They wanted to see McCarthy: striped pants, monocle, derby and Bergen's bald head. If that had happened in radio, the reaction would have been slow, diffused and debatable. I wouldn't learn anything from an audience sitting in a broadcasting studio in Hollywood, because those people all are in my business.

Neither of the owners wants to run in the Derby if he doesn't have a chance.

I didn't worry about any criticism of the horse, I was happy enough with his earlier runs. He was set for the Derby and he peaked on the right day. It was a pleasing result.

I don't even know it happened yet. I've won some grade Is and I've had a few seconds, but this is something really special. And he's my first Kentucky Derby horse.

Cardiff are the enemy. It's the one that gets people going and is the derby match we all look for.

I love derby games and on the whole they have been kind to me, ... although I was not going to tempt fate by saying so beforehand.

I find the education I got from living in Derby and being streetwise and knowing the people that I know, the lessons that I had to learn growing up, have set me in good stead for this kind of working life.

Giacomo as a two-year-old was a little immature physically. So we just -- we couldn't, you know, push him too hard until he physically developed a little more. Everything sort of snapped into place for him before the Santa Anita Derby. He came out of the Santa Anita Derby so well. Then he worked really well for the Kentucky Derby. So, you know, really felt good about that.

If a rider appeals against a suspension in, say, a Cox Plate, the right to ride on Derby Day at Flemington a week later and in the Melbourne Cup will be at the discretion of the Appeals Board.

For Wales and Northern Ireland, it's a dream to beat England and we have to deal with that. It's like a derby and, remember Wales, it wasn't easy there.

He went into our winter spell as our best derby chance,

He has a cult following in New Zealand because of the record, ... They haven't seen a horse do what he has done. He beat the older horses at weight-for-age at three and won the derby having not run for five weeks and has returned to win two over there.

He hasn't missed any time at all since his last race. If he does well on Saturday, I'd guess the Illinois Derby could be next but, believe me, we're not looking past the California Derby.

He has never been a problem at the gate. I just wanted to familiarize him with the gate crew and the crew with him. I don't want any surprises Derby Day.

He is as much a part of the Derby tradition as the Twin Spires themselves,

He is in Hawaii and listened to the race on the cell phone. I'm sure he can be persuaded to consider going for the Derby after such a good win.

He has to be in tip-top condition. I'm not going to put him into a tough race. Probably good judgment and good sense would say not to run, but there is only one Kentucky Derby and he's done everything we've asked of him, so you think you have to give him a chance.

He has the Mr. Prospector/A.P. Indy cross that's worked so well. He's a horse I think is unique in that he's going to appeal to Americans and Europeans. He's got a real loose walk, and he looks like he could go either way, dirt or turf. But he's got enough hip and he's stout enough where he could be a Derby horse, too.

He came out of the race fine. He's not going to run in the Derby . It just didn't work out for him. That's about all the comment I have about him. There's no use going into the ifs, ands, or buts. It just wasn't his day. We have no immediate plans for him.

We've got to make it through this race the right way before we can start thinking about the Derby. Obviously this is a huge test for us. Every 2-year-old you've got, the Derby is always in the back of your mind - especially one as talented as this one. Let's just hope we can take that last big step toward going home.

We've got to look to go into the derby next week at Villa and get three points.

He was full of himself. If everything looks good on Wednesday (of Derby Week), I'll enter him and if everything looks good on Thursday, I'll ship.

He wants to get to the Super Bowl quick, and he wants to get to the Derby quick. That's the kind of owner we need. Someone who wants to do it quick.

I think it just shows the strength and popularity of the Derby at this point. A few weeks ago our list of horses we thought were possible or probable seemed to be shrinking a bit. But when we got the last round of major preps, the list started growing again -- even though two horses (Brother Derek and Lawyer Ron) you'd regard as the favorites scored emphatic victories.

It is a joy each year to see the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs through the eyes of talented young students.

It is a great moment. Now we are thinking about the derby and about putting some space between us and Inter.

I think a lot of people picked wrong in the Derby and it created a reaction that, instead of saying they were wrong, they knocked the horse.

I went out to the Derby on Wednesday and think it is the most interesting thing I ever saw over here.

I watched him work and he looked fantastic. I mean, he's the real deal. As long as he stays healthy and they get him to relax like they did last time, I see him being a force definitely in the Arkansas Derby and probably through the whole Triple Crown.

Jim always wanted to have a horse in the Derby. He never once said to me that he wanted to win the Kentucky Derby because he'd been so blessed in his life, he thought it would be asking for too much.

Recently I have noticed football banners representing other clubs, such as Derby and Leeds, appearing.

Our new era at Churchill Downs got off to a spectacular start last year with a record-smashing Kentucky Derby Week and we look forward to welcoming our fans back for another exciting spring meet. That Derby Week momentum carried on through a terrific spring meet in which fans got to know and love our new facilities. Our staff is working hard to present those fans not only with the finest racing facilities in America, but to provide unparalleled guest service as they enjoy the strongest and most competitive daily racing program in the country.

Stern's finish against Leicester was top drawer and since he has been back from Derby he has been like a breath of fresh air.

That could very well change. I'm sure he could be persuaded one way or another. The kind of people who rate horses had him at 20-to-1 (in the Kentucky Derby Future Pool).

It definitely changed our strategy. We got a small Derby prep at Laurel, the Miracle Wood Stakes, or we probably wouldn't be here.

That was the Kentucky Derby of (high school) track and field meets. Every minute you'd turn around and another top national mark would be broken. It was unbelievable.

You can go get ideas from any institution, other museum, or public space. Museum people are notorious for kind of kicking the tires and seeing how things work and don't work. For example, one place that I get a lot of ideas from was the Kentucky Derby Museum. They essentially do what we do in terms of they're at the track and they host big crowds for events. They host a lot of media. Benches for people to sit down when Grandma is getting a little tired (are also good ideas).

You like to go into the Derby with a horse that has a chance to win. This horse showed me something ... He really poured it on today.

Wherever the quarterback derby or whatever you call it goes from here it doesn't matter. I'm just glad that we won. Basically, the questions about the whole quarterback thing, I'd like them to stop.

We do not condone the sale of Kentucky Derby tickets for higher than face value.

We're booked up year-to-year for Derby. There's no late-minute calling and asking for a Derby party. Last year we did boxed lunches for 500 for five different horse farms.

You always want to come to the Derby with a good horse. And we're back here now with three really good horses. It feels nice.

We're working together with the Derby development team, and we'll provide a complete open-source solution based on Derby and Cloudscape in six to nine months.

We have had exceptionally wet weather in Derby for the last six weeks. We did look at other possibilities in the area, but everywhere in the county is in the same boat.

We haven't put in our application (for 2006 racing dates), but (the two May weekends) have been great. I don't know about opening Derby week. We would have to open our backstretch earlier and we'd have to see what the costs would be.

The police chief has very clear instructions about that. I wish however that tomorrow's derby is tranquil.

We are going to try and have all of our teams coached by Derby High School basketball players. Right now about two-thirds of our teams are coached by players.

The Demo Derby is one of the most popular events at Tri-County. The fans, especially the kids, like the crashing. The participants get to do what everyone would like to do at one time or another and that's run into and over other cars. It's a lot of fun for everyone.

But there is always that unpredictability about a derby match and that's what it was today.

When the prince died, the horses were like orphans. But these horses, they're like family. And to have a horse who might be a Kentucky Derby contender, that's the best medicine.

We'll start to know more after today, when the results of the Penn Derby and the Prelude are in. And, of course, we will know even more when we see who goes through the second of nominations next Saturday.

We'll start as many as 200 cars. It's wild and crazy. It is total cars. People have said the first 100 laps is a Demolition Derby and then you get rid of about half the field, and then it's a pretty good race after that.

We are working hard to shore up the defensive end. Will Clark had been to state the last two years in the hitting derby and we have gone and watched him and the games. We have seen what it takes to get there and hopefully we are going to take it to the next step. We were one game away last year and are pretty motivated to get there.

We're all going out there to prove the young guys can pitch and they can help this team win. So far, in the game, it's been great. Guzman is doing a great job. It's not really a derby or competition, it's whoever can help the team the most.

We're not interested. If this horse would get injured tomorrow, I'd lose a few nights' sleep that I didn't take the money. But if I watch the horse win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile or the Kentucky Derby in somebody else's silks, I might lose sleep the rest of my life.

The original roof was a built-up tar and gravel roof, which was improved upon in 1985-1986 with a Derby gum roof.

You have to win this race to make a name for yourself. After I won the Derby on Cannonade (in 1974), I could get on almost any horse I wanted. That chance is out there for somebody.

Bob Lewis was a treasured member of the Kentucky Derby family and a friend to everyone in Thoroughbred racing.

Don't kid yourself, all we think about is winning the Derby. If you ask 1,000 people on the street about horse racing, they're going to say Kentucky Derby and Bill Shoemaker.

There's going to be some speed in front of him and that should give him a chance to relax. If he's going to run in the Kentucky Derby, that's what you're going to need to do. You don't usually win the Derby wire to wire.

Things just didn't go well for him today. I'm sure we'll go to Plan B, which would probably be off the Derby trail.

The Santa Anita Derby and Kentucky Derby are two totally different-run races, with a speed-biased track and short field compared with going back there with a 20-horse field and who knows what the pace scenario will be? This is a big race, a $750,000 Grade I. To win that would be a big deal. The Kentucky Derby is like a one-hand poker game. It's all in with whatever you've got. Whatever comes up comes up.

I've owned a couple of horses prior to Flashy Bull, but he's by far the best one. Did I ever think I'd be involved with a Kentucky Derby contender? It's something you hope for but can't really expect.

The Snow Box Derby is a wonderful valley-wide event. The North/South Challenge is a fun way to bring everyone in the valley together for some healthy, good-natured competition.

I usually make the Derby cake and they use a lot of my recipes for the other food we serve, but somebody else makes them now. I used to cook more but after my health declined, I had to cut back.

Storm Treasure is an extremely laid-back horse and will do anything you want. He's very good company for Private Vow. You want someone with enough talent that Private Vow gets something out of it. Private Vow is a much quicker horse than Storm Treasure, and obviously for the Derby we need (Private Vow) to settle more than he has. That's what we're working on and will continue to do. Private Vow has always been fast enough.

Once you get that Derby fever a little bit, it occupies way too much of your thought process.

At Wheeling, he wouldn't run the sharp turns too well (at 550). So out of necessity, I put him on the backside (660). Derby Lane is a different track; he's taken to it well.

They were hanging on the fence and he didn't get shook up, unlike me and Cecil. The Derby is different. You have to get used to the media horde and the barn area. It's hard to imagine what it will be like. You need to get in there 10 days early.

They are bubble-type horses that need to step forward and have a big showing in the Florida Derby to step into the Kentucky Derby picture. They did what they needed to do to get to this point.

This is what the Derby is all about.

This is the Kentucky Derby of quarter horse racing. This is the biggest one to win and the hardest. It's one of the hardest races to get into and the hardest to win. So many things can happen.

They have not pulled on a shirt for the first team or played in front of the Derby supporters but if I need to call on them at some stage this season, I will.

a bit of a squirrel derby trying to figure out all the things they're going to do.

It's a 'What have you done for me lately?' game. He's got to show he's got what it takes to be a Derby winner.

It's a bittersweet experience. It's great to have a Derby contender named after you -- it will definitely put you on a high -- but knowing I am standing in the shoes of my friend takes the edge off a bit.

I told him many times that I think this is a pretty good colt, but he is the kind of guy who doesn't get excited. He said, 'We'll see, we'll see.' He has told me repeatedly that he doesn't want to run in the Derby unless he has an absolute chance to win it.

It's not just a regular snowmobile or go-kart. It's primarily what you would see used at the Eagle River Derby track. A lot of young drivers start here, people that become professionals down the road.

Derby came out all fired up. They had a pep band and the place was noisy. They played us close for about four minutes. But we were just quicker and more physical than they were. We forced a lot of turnovers with our full-court press.

Derby asked to take Jamie but, at the moment, with the way we are and with the injuries, no-one is going anywhere.

The best medicine any doctor could order would be a live 3-year-old colt on the Derby campaign.

It's important to every trainer to be in the Derby and I've been lucky enough to have some good horses in it. We are in the picture this year but we've got a long way to go.

I've got a better chance of winning the Kentucky Derby on the back of a donkey than they have of winning the Super Bowl with Kyle Boller.