Essential Quality

Essential Quality (foaled April 9, 2018) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Futurity.

Essential Quality
SireTapit
GrandsirePulpit
DamDelightful Quality
DamsireElusive Quality
SexColt
Foaled2018[1]
CountryUnited States
ColorGray
BreederGodolphin Stables
OwnerGodolphin Stables
TrainerBrad H. Cox
Record3: 3-0-0
Earnings$1,335,144[2]
Major wins
Breeders' Futurity Stakes (2020)

Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2020)

Awards
American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse (2020)

Background

Essential Quality is a gray colt who was bred in Kentucky by Godolphin Stables, for which he races as a homebred. He is by leading sire Tapit, whose earlier crops had included five Breeders' Cup winners (Stardom Bound, Tapizar, Tapitsfly, Hansen, Untapable) and three Belmont Stakes winners (Tonalist, Creator, Tapwrit).[3] He is the second foal and first winner produced by Delightful Quality, a daughter of Elusive Quality and half-sister to champion filly Folklore.[4] The family traces back to influential broodmare La Troienne through the branch created by Stolen Base, which also includes Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail.[5][6]

Essential Quality is trained by Brad Cox.[2]

Racing career

2020: two-year-old season





Essential Quality made his first start on September 5, 2020 in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs over six furlongs. He settled in the middle of the pack behind a fast early pace set by Copa. He improved position around the turn but ran into traffic at the head of the stretch. Angled to the outside, he found racing room and closed well to win by three lengths.[7]

For his next start, Cox stepped him up in class in the Grade I Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland on October 3. Despite his lack of experience, Essential Quality was made the 2-1 favorite in the field of nine. He rated just off the early pace set by Upstriker, then took the lead rounding the final turn. He drew away down the stretch to beat the late-closing Keepmeinmind by ​3 1⁄4 lengths. Cox credited new jockey Luis Saez with getting the colt to relax. "He's a very green horse," said Cox. "That was my concern today — could he put it all together? And he did... If he can figure it out, he's a serious animal."[4][8]

The win earned Essential Quality an automatic entry in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, held on November 6 at Keeneland. In a field of 14, Essential Quality went off as the 7-2 second choice behind the undefeated Jackie's Warrior, winner of the Saratoga Special Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, and Champagne Stakes. Essential Quality broke poorly and bumped into Keepmeinmind to his outside, then settled into midpack. Jackie's Warrior pressed a fast early pace set by Dreamer's Disease then took the lead turning to the stretch. He was then joined by longshot Hot Rod Charlie, who briefly took the lead. Meanwhile, Essential Quality made a wide move on the final turn and slowly grained ground. With a furlong remaining, he switched leads and produced a closing burst to win by three-quarters of a length over Hot Rod Charlie, with Keepmeinmind closing late for third and Jackie's Warrior hanging on for fourth. "I had a perfect trip, a beautiful trip," said Saez. "I knew there was going to be a lot of speed so we were in the right spot. At the three-eighths [pole], he gave me that kick so I knew we had a chance to win the race. He can run all day."[5]

"It's so exciting to win any Breeders' Cup race, but when you have a 2-year-old colt that is a homebred... it's the cherry on top," said Jimmy Bell, the president of Godolphin's US operations. "So much of the farm staff was able to come over and watch because this is in our own backyard. That's where the joy is: in celebrating with people who put so much time in behind the scenes of all this. It made it so special to have the team here, and it's a tribute to Sheikh Mohammed and his overall breeding plan."[9]

Statistics
Date Age Distance Race[ Grade Track Odds Field Finish Winning Time Winning
(Losing)
Margin		 Jockey Ref
Sep 5, 2020 2 6 furlongs Maiden Special Weight Maiden Churchill Downs 1.90* 11 1 1:09.98 4 lengths Shaun Bridgmohan [7]
Oct 3, 2020 2 ​1 1⁄16 miles Breeders' Futurity Stakes I Keeneland 1.90* 9 1 1:44.37 ​3 1⁄4 lengths Luis Saez [8]
Nov 6, 2020 2 ​1 1⁄16 furlongs Breeders' Cup Juvenile I Keeneland 3.70 14 1 1:42.09 ​3⁄4 lengths Luis Saez [10]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Essential Quality, gray colt, April 9, 2018[1]
Sire
Tapit		 Pulpit A.P. Indy Seattle Slew
Weekend Surprise
Preach Mr. Prospector
Narrate
Tap Your Heels Unbridled Fappiano
Gana Facil
Ruby Slippers Nijinsky
Moon Glitter
Dam
Delightful Quality		 Elusive Quality Gone West Mr. Prospector
Secrettame
Touch of Greatness Hero's Honor
Ivory Wand
Contrive Storm Cat Storm Bird
Terlingua
Jeano Fappiano'
Basie (family 1-x)[6]

Essential Quality is inbred 4S x 4D to Fappiano, meaning this sire appears in the fourth generation on both the sire's and the dam's side of the pedigree. He is also inbred to Mr. Prospector (Fappiano's sire) 4S x 5S x 4D x 5D, to Secretariat 5S x 5D x 5D, to Northern Dancer 5S x 5D x 5D and to In Reality 5S x 5D.

References
  1. "Pedigree of Essential Quality". Equineline. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  2. "Essential Quality profile". Equibase. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  3. "Tapit sires sixth Breeders' Cup champion". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. "Essential Quality shines in Breeders' Futurity". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  5. "Quality Rules in Breeders' Cup Juvenile". Thoroughbred Daily News. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  6. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - La Troienne - Family 1-x". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  7. "Chart for September 5, 2020 at Churchill Downs, Race 4". equibase.com. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  8. "Chart for the Breeders' Futurity". equibase.com. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  9. "Essential Quality rallies to win Breeders' Cup Juvenile". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  10. "Chart for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile". equibase.com. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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