Trainer Michael Dilger (Mexikoma): “This has been the target for him for quite a while, and thankfully it worked. He’s won so many of his races closing from so far behind and that style will make you nervous here at Gulfstream. I was glad that Johnny rode him the way he did. He’s got a lot of try and even when he doesn’t win, it’s not because he didn’t try. He’s a horse that’s a two-turn horse. He’s always going to be running best at the end of the races. We’re delighted.

(He’s eligible to go to Dubai) “He has to do some more stuff before something like that. (Next) “We’ll see. (Donn too close?) “We’ll see how he is.”

Jockey John Velazquez (Mexikoma): ‘Not exactly the way I wanted it. He broke pretty sharply in the first turn, and I had to take a little hold of him. When they came over I got squeezed out of there on the first turn. I didn’t worry so much because I jumped the heels and I went to the outside and I went to follow Joe Bravo, which I thought was the horse to beat, and once I was there I didn’t worry so much."

Trainer Edward Plesa Jr. (Mr. Jordan): “He’s not immediate out of the gate, it takes him a jump or two. Joe (Bravo) put him in position. You’ve got to give the horse that won (Mexikoma) a lot of credit—he ran him down and my horse was about 10 lengths clear of the others. I was really pleased with his race, or as pleased as you can be without actually winning. He tried hard."

Mexikoma is owned by Team Valor International. The winning time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:48.19