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00:00In this week's edition of First Thing First, I caught up with jockey Mike Smith and Phil
00:05DiMato to discuss the Santa Barbara Stakes.
00:13Musical Rhapsody takes down the Santa Barbara Stakes and I have trainer Phil DiMato to my
00:18left, but we're going to start with a rather perspiring Mike Smith to my right.
00:23What did you tell me when you came up here?
00:25How tired you are?
00:26Well, she just pulls so hard.
00:28She's not very big at all.
00:29But boy, she's just tough and she loves to run, man.
00:31She really loves her job and when she gets amongst them, she gets pretty aggressive and
00:35she just wants to beat up on them.
00:37So she wears you out a little bit.
00:40She's 880 pounds.
00:41I mean, I feel like I'm about the same size as her and probably weigh about the same,
00:45Mike.
00:46What is the key to riding a small little filly that pulls?
00:49You know, Phil's really got it going well.
00:51His crew at the barn, they got her to relax a lot better since the first time I rode her.
00:55She's even, believe it or not, she's even a whole lot better and he's got her doing
00:58well and about as good as a little filly could do and I just pointed in the right direction
01:02and got her out.
01:03I might have got her out a little too soon.
01:05It's a quarter of a mile is a long way for her to be in front.
01:07She'll run down anything, but you got to time it right.
01:10Did you know you timed it right, Mike?
01:12I didn't mean to time it that close.
01:16Thank you, Phil.
01:17I appreciate it.
01:18All right, Phil, you mentioned how tough she is.
01:21What kind of filly is she like in the morning, then?
01:23Yeah, I mean, she's like she is in the afternoon in the morning, you know.
01:28It's just a perfect fit because Mike's so good with these strong horses, getting them
01:32to take a deep breath and relax and finishing.
01:35And ever since I put him on her, you know, he's done just that and gotten the most out
01:39of her.
01:40So hopefully, you know, she's got two in a row and hopefully she can keep rolling.
01:44Does she have any quirks about her other than she pulls like a train?
01:47No, she's just a very straightforward, good training filly.
01:51You know, again, she's a small little thing, but I don't think she knows it.
01:55I mean, a lot of, you know, attitude to her, but, you know, very straightforward.
02:01Small but mighty.
02:02Well done, Phil.
02:04Musical Rhapsody takes down the Santa Barbara Stakes.
02:12Many thanks to Mike and Phil for that.
02:15And that filly, yes, she did literally weigh in at eight hundred and eighty pounds.
02:20And she now is an absolute little beast.
02:24All things do come in good packages.
02:25All right.
02:26I want to remind you, the Santa Anita will be back this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
02:30And if you're looking to gamble and watch the Preakness, not only can you do that at
02:35Pimlico, but you can come to the Great Race Place and do it there too.