He ran much-improved races last fall and has continued to develop physically. They stamped him as a horse moving toward the top of the handicap division.

He accomplished everything we hoped for except winning.

How much it affected his performance I don't know.

He's matured physically and mentally and handles the distance. He's the whole package.

If he were to win the Sprint, I think he puts himself in position to make a strong case for not only horse of the year, but champion three-year-old.

If it happens fine, if it doesn't then we'll go on somewhere else.

He's a pretty forward horse and the key is just really if they can relax just enough to make their speed dangerous and keep carrying it.

His best distance is probably a mile-and?an-eighth to a mile-and-a-quarter. It's good to see that we can stretch him out from here.

At the end of the (Wood), he was still only beat two lengths. Even though he tired, I've got some mixed emotions on whether going a mile and a quarter is what we should do. By the same token, I'm not able to identify why we should not necessarily go.

It's going to be great. As long as the racing surfaces are good and the saddling environment is okay, I'll be happy.