"I hope I shall never be the man to take away credit from any dog or driver who participated in that run. We all did our best. But when the country was roused to enthusiasm over the serum run driver, I resented the statue to Balto, for if any dog deserved special mention it was Togo. [...] At the time I left [for the run] I never dreamed that anyone could consider these dogs [the second string] fit to drive even in a short relay. [...] As to the leader, it was up to the driver who happened to be selected to choose any dog he liked, and he chose Balto"

-Leonhard Seppala