For our IdaBet.com players:
Quotes for the $300,000 Madison (G1)
David Fawkes (winning trainer of Sheer Drama)
“I talked to (Keeneland Racing Secretary) Ben (Huffman) about this race early in the year, and thought it might be a good starting spot. Never expected it to come up this tough. But she ran her race – she brought her A game. She worked so good last week, I thought she could do anything (in this race).”
Joe Bravo (winning rider, who scored his second consecutive victory following the Shakertown-G2)
“This filly did a lot of great things last year, won some Grade 1s, and this was her first race back. (Trainer) Dave (Fawkes) and I spent all week looking at it and saying, ‘Wow. These are some of the best fillies in the country.’ What she did today – you gotta just love her. She has so much heart. (Trainer Todd) Pletcher’s horse (Stopchargingmaria) came to us at the top of the lane, and she passed us. (When a horse trained by) Todd goes by you, you think, ‘Oh right.’ But Sheer Drama said, ‘None of that.’ She gutted it out and outran her down the lane.”
Javier Castellano (rider of runner-up Stopchargingmaria)
“The outside post didn’t help her much, and I had to go wide a little bit. That might have cost me the race but it’s something you just gotta deal with. You have to go through it and hope for much the best. She ran such a good race. I’m not disappointed at all. I’m so happy and satisfied with what she did today. Just second-best today.”
Drayden Van Dyke (rider of fourth-place finisher Birdatthewire)
“It was a perfect trip. She ran her race, and I think it was just speed-favoring today. She handled the track perfect.”
For 80 years, the Keeneland Association has devoted itself to the health and vibrancy of the Thoroughbred industry. As the world’s largest Thoroughbred auction company, Keeneland conducts sales every January, September and November. Its sales graduates dominate racing across the globe at every level. In April and October, Keeneland offers some of the highest caliber and richest Thoroughbred racing in the world. In 2015, Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. Uniquely structured, Keeneland is a private, for-profit corporation that returns its earnings to the industry and the community in the form of higher purses, and it has donated millions of dollars in charitable contributions for education, research and health and human services throughout Central Kentucky.
