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Big Day For Brad Cox: Essential Quality Shows Up With Professional Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Victory

Though he entered Friday's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile undefeated in two career starts, Godolphin homebred Essential Quality was sent to post at 7-2 odds in the wake of divisional heavyweight Jackie's Warrior (4-5 favorite). The tote board didn't tell the tale in this year's $2 million championship race, however, and the royal blue colors of the Godolphin operation hit the wire on top.

Trainer Brad Cox was jumping up and down after the 2-year-old son of Tapit hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front of 94-1 longshot Hot Rod Charlie. He'd just saddled the winner of the previous race, Aunt Pearl in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but had been less confident in the talented but inexperienced gray colt in the day's final event.

Luis Saez crafted a late-running triumph from eighth in the early going that showed a new dimension for Essential Quality; last out, the colt won the G1 Breeders' Futurity with a forwardly-placed trip. Making up ground with giant strides in the short stretch for 1 1/16 miles over the dirt at Keeneland, Essential Quality stopped the clock in 1:42.09.

Cox won his first Grade 1 race in April of 2018 with Monomoy Girl; two and a half years later, the trainer now has five Breeders' Cup wins to his name.

It was the first career Breeders' Cup win for Saez, whose agent is former Godolphin trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Though Jackie's Warrior broke near the top of the field, Dreamer's Disease rushed up from the outside to grab command headed into the clubhouse turn. When David Cohen pushed over to the rail with the frontrunner, Joel Rosario had to grab hold of an unhappy Jackie's Warrior and try to wrangle him back to rate in fourth position.

Likeable and Classier boxed Jackie's Warrior at the rail around the clubhouse turn, but Rosario was able to get the favorite outside into third mid-way down the backstretch.

Essential Quality was in eighth early on, concerning Cox until the early fractions flashed on the television screen: Dreamer's Disease was flying early in splits of :22.58, :45.31, and 1:10.48. The trainer was able to relax a bit when he saw Saez start moving up through the pack approaching the far turn.

Jackie's Warrior moved into second behind Dreamer's Disease around the far turn, but 94-1 longshot Hot Rod Charlie was hot on his heels and challenged the favorite at the head of the lane.

Meanwhile, Saez and Essential Quality had tracked Hot Rod Charlie into the stretch and swung out to the center of the course to make his challenge. Hard-ridden to the wire, Essential Quality put away the longshot by three-quarters of a length. Hot Rod Charlie, the half-brother to 2019 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and champion Mitole, finished second. Keepmeinmind came flying late to nab the show Jackie's Warrior, and Rombauer checked in fifth.

The remaining order of finish is as follows: Dreamer's Disease, King Fury, Classier, Sittin On Go, Reinvestment Risk, Calibrate, Camp Hope, Likeable, and Next.

Essential Quality was bred in Kentucky by the Godolphin operation, and is the fourth foal out of the graded stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality. The colt won on debut over six furlongs at Churchill Downs, then won the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Futurity by 3 1/4 lengths in his final prep for the Juvenile. His undefeated record and total earnings of $1,335,14 will likely make him the early favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby.

Godolphin his never won the Run for the Roses, though they've won the Juvenile once before (in 2009 with Vale of York).

“I do feel the sky's the limit with this horse,” Cox said.

The post Big Day For Brad Cox: Essential Quality Shows Up With Professional Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Aunt Pearl Runs Juvenile Fillies Turf Rivals Off Their Feet

Jockey Florent Geroux hustled Aunt Pearl out of the gate to secure the early lead, then cruised to an easy 2 1/2-length victory in Saturday's $1-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland, covering one mile on good turf in 1:35.71 and paying $7.20 as the betting favorite.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf was the fourth of five Future Stars Friday races for 2-year-olds that kicked off the two-day Breeders' Cup world championships at the Lexington, Ky., track.

Aidan O'Brien-trained Mother Earth finished second, with another European-based runner, Miss Amulet, third. She was followed by Campanelle, the Wesley Ward-trained filly who won the Group 2 Queen Mary at Ascot and Group 1 Prix Morny in Deauville.

Aunt Pearl, trained by Brad Cox, is a 2-year-old Irish-bred filly by Lope de Vega out of Matauri Pearl, by Hurricane Run. She was bred by Ecurie Des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud and races for the partnership of Michal Dubb, Madaket Stables, Peter Deutsch, Michael Kisber, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stable.

Geroux, one of the best front-end jockeys in the sport, was intent on putting Aunt Pearl on the lead, and the opening quarter mile in :22.55 suggested he might be asking the filly to go too fast too early. But he managed to slow things down, getting the second quarter mile in :24.75 for a half-mile time of :47.30. The third quarter was slower still – :24.91 – for an opening six furlong time in 1:12.21.

Despite those progressively slower fractions, no one was gaining on Aunt Pearl, who cruised past the furlong pole in 1:23.84 en route to her final time of 1:35.71 Her final quarter mile was :23.50.

Aunt Pearl debuted at Churchill Downs on Sept. 1, winning a mile maiden race by five lengths, then came back five weeks later to win the G2 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland by 2 1/2 lengths in similar front-running fashion.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf was the fourth Breeders' Cup winner for Cox, a 40-year-old native of Louisville, Ky. For Geroux, it was the sixth Breeders' Cup win for Geroux, a native of France who won the Juvenile Fillies Turf with Catch a Glimpse in 2015.

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Aunt Pearl Stays Perfect With Sharp Wire-to-Wire Juvenile Fillies Turf Score

Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) came into Friday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf undefeated in two prior starts and made good on 5-2 favoritism to remain undefeated with an authoritative 2 1/2-length victory. Out of the gate like a shot, Aunt Pearl went straight to the front and opened a two-length advantage over undefeated French Group 1-winner Campanelle (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) through a quarter mile in :22.55. Still moving comfortably through a :47.30 half, the Brad Cox pupil was clear turning for home, turned on all boosters in the stretch and despite Miss Amulet’s (Ire) and Mother Earth’s (Ire) best efforts to close on the pacesetter late, both was unable to reel in the favorite, five lengths in front at the wire. Mother Earth bested Miss Amulet by a neck for second.

“That was a devastating performance,” said Cox. “She is an amazing filly. Very proud of her. Speed is her weapon and she knows how to use it. I was pretty confident [she would win] when I saw the :47 and [jockey Florent Geroux] obviously knows her well.”

Geroux added, “I know she is extremely fast. I just tried to get away good. She was off to a flying start. She went pretty quick early on and after that I tried to get her to relax. On the backside she came back to me. When I asked her, she had plenty left. She’s extremely talented. I think the sky is the limit for her. Over the winter, hopefully, she’ll grow a little bit and next year we can do it again.”

Named a TDN Rising Star following a front-running five-length score going a mile at Churchill Downs Sept. 1, the Irish-bred showed more of the same when wiring Keeneland’s 1 1/16-mile GI Jessamine S. Oct. 7.

Pedigree Notes:
The winner’s dam Matauri Pearl–a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Wekeela (Fr) (Hurricane Run {Ire})–has a yearling filly by Sea the Stars (Ire) and produced a Lope de Vega colt this year. Newspaperofrecord (Ire), who won the Juvenile Fillies Turf two years ago, is also by Lope de Vega and was a Tattersalls October purchase herself.

Bred by Ecurie des Charmes and Ballylinch Stud, the 280,000gns TATOCT purchase was part of a European venture put together by BSW/Crow Bloodstock’s Brad Weisbord and Liz Crow. She was one of nine fillies purchased for this group of five American owners.

“Liz Crow, who bought Monomoy Girl and British Idiom for us both, along with Brad Weisbord had an idea of going to Europe and trying to do the same thing,” said co-owner Sol Kumin. “So we put a group together and Mike [Dubb] and I were sort of the first two that were part of it and then we filled it in with some other members..And from the beginning we knew she was one of the better ones in the group. I think she obviously turned out to probably be the best one. Brad Cox has liked her from the beginning. Paul Sharp did a great job breaking her in Ocala and we really are happy about where we are.”

Friday, Keeneland
BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE FILLIES TURF-GI, $920,000, Keeneland, 11-6, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:35.71, gd.
1–AUNT PEARL (IRE), 122, f, 2, by Lope de Vega (Ire)
1st Dam: Matauri Pearl (Ire), by Hurricane Run (Ire)
2nd Dam: Moonrise (Ger), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Morning Queen, by Konigsstuhl (Ger)
1ST GRADE I WIN. (280,000gns Ylg ’19 TATOCT). O-Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Peter Deutsch, Michael E. Kisber, The Elkstone Group, LLC (Stuart Grant) & Bethlehem Stables LLC; B-Ecurie Des Charmes & Ballylinch Stud (IRE); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $520,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $652,784. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Mother Earth (Ire), 122, f, 2, by Zoffany (Ire)
1st Dam: Many Colours (GB), by Green Desert
2nd Dam: First of Many (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
3rd Dam: Star Profile (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
(€150,000 Ylg ’19 GOFOR). O-Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Grenane House Stud (IRE); T-Aidan P. O’Brien. $170,000.
3–Miss Amulet (Ire), 122, f, 2, by Sir Prancealot (Ire)
1st Dam: Shena’s Dream (Ire), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Sallanches, by Gone West
3rd Dam: Stresa (Ire), by Mill Reef
(€1,000 Wlg ’18 GOFNOV; £7,500 Ylg ’19 TASAYG). O-Doreen Tabor; B-Ringfort Stud (IRE); T-Ken J. Condon. $90,000.
Margins: 2HF, NK, 2. Odds: 2.60, 22.80, 11.70.
Also Ran: Campanelle (Ire), Plum Ali, Spanish Loveaffair, Editor At Large (Ire), Madone, Oodnadatta (Ire), Nazuna (Ire), Invincible Gal (GB), Alda, Royal Approval, Union Gables. Scratched: Snowfall (Jpn), Tetragonal (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Cox ‘A’ Team, Essential Quality Work Towards ‘Future Stars Friday’

A trio of Brad Cox-trained juveniles headed towards the ‘Future Stars Friday’ Breeders’ Cup program at Keeneland Nov. 6, got in their final major moves at soggy Churchill Downs Friday morning.

The first of the threesome at 9 a.m. was Godolphin’s ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Essential Quality (Tapit), who figures the second choice in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on the strength of his 3 1/4-length victory in the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland Oct. 3. The hombred son of Grade III-placed Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality) worked five furlongs outside of his MGSW stablemate Mr. Misunderstood (Archarcharch) in 1:01, with early fractions of :12 flat and :24 1/5, according to track clocker John Nichols.

“Essential Quality is growing up well. He’s continuing to learn and I’m very pleased with how he’s progressing,” said Cox, who has won three Breeders ‘Cup races in the last two years. “He has a ton of raw talent which he’s shown in both of his starts. We added blinkers to him over the summer to help him focus a little bit more and they’ve really helped. We have experience around two turns and we have experience at Keeneland, which is always helpful. It’s 1 1/16 miles, so it’s a short stretch. You need to be in position when you turn for home.”

Next to hit the track was Abarta (Into Mischief), who completed the exacta for his sire behind ‘Rising Star’ Mutasaabeq in the GII Bourbon S. at Keeneland Oct. 4. Prepping for the Juvenile Turf, the $200,000 Keeneland September graduate breezed a half-mile in :47.60 outside of SW & GSP Set Piece (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in splits of :11.60, :23.80 and :35 before galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.40.

“Abarta had a really nice late kick in the Bourbon to run second,” Cox said. “He didn’t have the best of trips but really showed some adversity that afternoon. I think it’s good he has already run well over that course.”

Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) earned her ‘Rising Star‘ at first asking at Churchill Sept. 1 and validated that effort with another front-running success in the GII JP Morgan Chase Jessamine S. in Lexington Oct. 7. Purchased for 280,000gns out of last year’s Tattersalls October sale, the bay drilled a half in :48.60 (:24.40, :36.80), starting her work two lengths behind the unraced Palm Cottage (American Pharoah).

“Aunt Pearl acted like she could really run at the start,” Cox commented. “The good ones kind of do that–they’ll let you know there is a lot of talent there. Given the pedigree, we were optimistic she’d be able to carry her speed around two turns. We thought about taking her to Saratoga over the summer, but when Churchill’s condition book came out I thought it might be better to keep her at home. It’s turned out really well so far.”

Other Breeders’ Cup-bound workers at Churchill included:

Girl Daddy (Uncle Mo, Juvenile fillies), 4f in :48.20
Sittin On Go (Brody’s Cause, Juvenile), 4f in :47.40
Smiley Sobotka (Brody’s Cause, Juvenile), 4f in :47.60
Spanish Loveaffair (Karakontie {Jpn}), Juvenile Fillies Turf, 4f in :48.60

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