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

Brad Cox (winning trainer of Denim and Pearls)

On the cutback in distance

“She didn’t want to go that far. She had great trips both times down there at Oaklawn around two turns (when second in both the 1-mile Year’s End Stakes Dec. 31 and the 8½-furlong Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 3) and just didn’t finish up the way we hoped. We zeroed in on this race after that last one at Oaklawn. She trains very well in the morning. She’s a great mover. We were hoping she’d be a mile-and-an-eighth filly and we could march toward the (Kentucky) Oaks (G1), but (owner) Randy Gullat (of Red, White and Blue Racing) and the whole team are all about trying to do what’s best for her and not make her do something she isn’t capable of doing, and she rewarded them today.”

On her blowout performance today

“She drew the 1 (post), and I thought the 3 (Tipsy Tammy) was going to go (to the lead), but she didn’t break (well). We found ourselves sitting in a great spot with two really good fillies (stablemate Youalmosthadme ran third). The other filly I think was maybe a little short, but this filly really finished up well. Probably (she gained) a lot of stamina and fitness from those two-turn races we asked of her at Oaklawn.”

Flavien Prat (winning rider)

“It was a very good performance today. She was traveling well all the way around. I didn’t want to move too soon but she just did it on her own, so I thought to let her run from there. She did the rest. It was a great move by (trainer) Brad (Cox) to cut back in distance as well.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of runner-up Harbor Springs)

“I stumbled out of there. After that, I let her be. I let her get together, and she recovered pretty quickly. After that, I just bide my time, waiting on the time to go. She was running on the end. The winner is a really nice filly. She ran away from me, but my filly was running on the end.”

Tyler Gaffalione (rider of third-place finisher Youalmosthadme)

“She broke, she did everything right. I guess the layoff might have got to her. She came back happy. We’ll live to fight another day.”