Click here for a replay of the race and the post-race interview with winning connections.

Luan Machado (winning rider of Brunacini)

“He broke super sharp. I tried to get him over on the backside but couldn’t make it. He was taking me around there. I thought I’d just stay (outside) and try to give him at least a clear shot to make his run, and he did. (The win) means a lot to me and to the whole connections (breeder and owner Emilie Fojan and trainer Matt Sims). I’m not surprised; he’s a very nice horse. I got the opportunity to breeze him a couple times in the morning and last week he did an unbelievable work, super comfortable. I even joked to the guys in the room, ‘I don’t think he can be worse than third here.’ I was super happy for everybody. They did such a great job with this horse. He’s not an easy horse to train. He’s so big; he thinks he’s a dinosaur. He’s very hard to gallop, super tough. So congratulations to the whole team.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of runner-up and beaten favorite Book’em Danno)

“I thought I was going to get up there. He’ll be all right; he’s a nice horse. We were unlucky that we didn’t get there on time today.”

Junior Alvarado (rider of Knightsbridge, who finished in a dead heat for third with Epic Ride)

“He went good. We didn’t have the best position, but I don’t want to make excuses out of that. I was in a good spot the whole way around. Turning for home, I started asking him and he wasn’t giving it to me. He wasn’t backing up; he was just steady and in the same spot. I tried to put him outside Book’em Danno. Then I got through and it opened up a lane very quick. All of a sudden at the eighth pole he picked it up again. Everything was there for him being in that position. They were moving along pretty good. That was the plan (to be on the lead). You just have to stay with the horse. He couldn’t go that fast anymore and I didn’t want to rush since he hadn’t run in a while. I wanted to make sure he had something to finish.”

Michael Banahan (of Godolphin, breeder and owner of Knightsbridge)

“We were happy with the way he ran after a long layoff. It was a good effort. Maybe he was just a hair short, but there were some nice horses in here. Maybe we will stretch him out a little bit (in distance). Looks like he galloped out good. This was a good starting point to get him going again. It is difficult for an inexperienced horse to run in a Grade 3 race off the layoff. We will see how he comes out of the race and come up with a game plan.”

John Ennis (trainer of Epic Ride, who finished in a dead heat for third with Knightsbridge)

“Great race for first race off a layoff. He ran huge. This looked like a great race on paper beforehand, and he ran great. Maybe past the sixteenth pole he got a little tired, but I could not be any prouder. I don't have any plans yet but I don’t think he wants to go farther than 7 furlongs.”

Edgar Morales (rider of Epic Ride)

“When he (Epic Ride) broke, he wanted to go to the lead. He’ll do whatever you ask. He’s a cool horse. I sat third outside the speed, and he was traveling great for me. When I asked him to go before (Brunacini) covered me, he tried to go on with it. He has been off over five months, so we know he will be a little short. With this race under him, I think he’ll be good.”

“I knew (Goodlookinjustice) would go to the lead and (Patriot Spirit), he pushed along, so I was like, well, let me let them go. My horse, he was fresh. He hadn’t run since the (Kentucky) Derby, so he wanted to go. He broke sharp.”