For the first year, we just wanted to put on a really smooth race. We concentrated on the course and the support on the course. There will be a lot more bells and whistles in 2006.

That conference was pretty much a 3-team race. Any of the three could have been region champions. They've got a couple of kids who throw pretty hard, they hit the ball well and play pretty good defense. We will not have an easy time.

When white and black and brown and every other color decide they're going to live together as Christians, then and only then are we going to see an end to these troubles.

John Hammond told us this afternoon that he cannot properly prepare the mare for the race, and our travel plans with the airlines have also hit a snag,

I used to be obsessed with race. I'm more obsessed with class now.

I grew up in the Bronx, but in Riverdale - not exactly an area of New York that's known for being rough and tumble.