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Essential Quality, Maxfield To Join Darley’s Stallion Roster For 2022 Breeding Season

Darley in America will have two sensational new additions to its stallion roster for 2022 as Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and fellow Grade 1 winner Maxfield are set to retire to Jonabell after their final starts.

Darley Sales Manager, Darren Fox, said, “To have both Essential Quality and Maxfield coming to Jonabell is as exciting as it gets. And to have accomplished what they did as homebreds in the colors of Godolphin makes it even that much more meaningful.

“They consistently performed at the highest level and if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”

Essential Quality is a son of Tapit out of a G3-placed half-sister to champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore. He has won eight of nine career starts – four at Grade1 level – and was named 2-year-old Eclipse Champion of 2020 following Grade 1 victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Futurity. While winning the Juvenile, he recorded the highest Beyer of any two-year-old beyond a mile last year.

In 2021, his victories include the Belmont Stakes in which he recorded a 109 Beyer, becoming the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont. He went on to win the G1 Travers at Saratoga, joining Street Sense as the only champion 2-year-olds in the past 30 years to take the “midsummer Derby.” A Grade 1 winner at 8 1/2 furlongs, 10 furlongs and 12 furlongs, Essential Quality also lists three other graded victories to his credit. He was also beaten only a length when fourth in this year's Kentucky Derby. His fee will be set following the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Maxfield has never been off the board in 10 career starts and was an outstanding winner of Keeneland's G1 Breeders' Futurity as a juvenile, like his future barn mate Essential Quality.

Maxfield's six other career victories include the G2 Stephen Foster and G2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs. Two additional 2021 G1 placings include runner-up finishes in Saratoga's G1 Whitney and the G1 Woodward at Belmont.

A son of Darley stallion Street Sense, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, a half-sister to G1 winner and successful sire Sky Mesa.

Like Essential Quality, Maxfield's fee will be set following his final race, the G1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 26.

Fox continued, “In addition to the excitement of two new stallions, we are hearing from breeders a great deal of optimism especially with the strong sales results this year. It goes without saying that times were tough for the industry last year but ours is a resilient bunch and hope springs eternal for the coming year. All that said, we are still maintaining moderation when setting our fees with only one of our top-tier stallions returning from last year seeing an uptick in price at this time.”

Perennial leading sire Medaglia d'Oro will stand at a fee of $100,000 for the new year. He was the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median in 2020, and no stallion can match his 20 million-dollar yearlings since 2016.

With over 80 worldwide group or graded winners – 26 at the highest level – Medaglia d'Oro's top-tier performers in 2021 include Golden Sixty, Hong Kong Horse of the Year, who has won 17 of 18 career starts and over $10 million. Medaglia d'Oro is also the all-time leading sire of stakes winners at Saratoga and of Grade 1 winners at Del Mar.

Street Sense's fee will be set at $75,000 for 2022. In addition to his soon-to-be-retired son Maxfield, Street Sense's 2021 top performers also include G2 San Vicente winner Concert Tour and G2 Mother Goose Stakes heroine Zaajel. Since 2017, Only Into Mischief and Constitution can match his four graded stakes-winning juvenile dirt colts, a group that includes his four-time Grade 1 winning son McKinzie.

2021 has also been a strong year for Street Sense in the sales ring. His yearlings averaged over $200,000 and he is only one of 11 North American sires this year to be represented by a million-dollar yearling.

Nyquist, 2020's leading first-crop sire, will stand for a fee of $55,000 in 2022. His juveniles of last year included Eclipse champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist and G1 Summer Stakes winner Gretzky the Great. Not since Danzig in the 1980s has a stallion had two Grade 1 winners so early in his career.

In 2021, his 2-year-old daughter Sequist looks to give her sire his second consecutive Juvenile Fillies win as she is headed to this year's renewal following a third in the G1 Darley Alcibiades in her last start. He is the cumulative leading second-crop sire by earnings, Grade 1 winners, Grade 1 horses, and graded stakes horses.

In the sales ring, he sits third behind only Quality Road and Uncle Mo by 2-year-old average. His $2.6 million colt sold at Fasig-Tipton in March is the highest amount paid for any juvenile this year and is equal to a yearling by Into Mischief as the highest price paid for any horse at public auction in 2021.

Hard Spun's fee will remain at $35,000 for 2022. He will be represented in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by his son Silver State, winner of this year's G1 Met Mile and G2 Oaklawn Handicap. His other top 2021 runners include G1 Arkansas Derby runner-up Caddo River and G3 winner Antoinette among 15 black type horses in 2021.

Frosted, the record-breaking Met Mile winner, is priced at $20,000 for 2022. Ranked third behind Nyquist on the cumulative second-crop sire list, Frosted's top performers this year include Travel Column, winner of the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks. She is one of five 3-year-olds to run a 90+ Beyer in 2021 for her sire; only Into Mischief and Curlin can top it.

Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 priced at $10,000 each. Midshipman is having his best year ever and has two Breeders' Cup prospects in Grade 2 winner Special Reserve, headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and undefeated 2-year-old filly Averly Jane who is pointing towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Midshipman is represented by 11 stakes winners in America this year – a career high and a list that also includes G2 Californian winner Royal Ship and G3 winner Naval Laughter.

Medaglia d'Oro's Group 1-winning son Astern, who shuttles from Australia, is off to a fast start with eight first-crop winners this year. His daughter Sail By will be making her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following an impressive win in the “Win and You're In” G2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont.

See below for the complete roster:

Stallion	Fee
NEW Essential Quality	TBD
NEW Maxfield	TBD
Medaglia d'Oro	$100,000
Street Sense	$75,000
Nyquist	$55,000
Hard Spun	$35,000
Frosted	$20,000
Street Boss	$15,000
Astern	$10,000
Midshipman	$10,000
Enticed	$5,000

The post Essential Quality, Maxfield To Join Darley’s Stallion Roster For 2022 Breeding Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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No Shortage Of Pace In BC Classic If Knicks Go, Medina Spirit Start

If everything holds together and all things being equal, one thing seems certain: the $6 million Breeders' Cup Classic won't be lacking for pace.

With committed front runners Medina Spirit, Knicks Go, and Art Collector all pointing to the mile and one-quarter Classic at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., Nov. 6, Vegas books might ponder offering a prop bet on which one takes the lead, if they haven't already.

Private clocker and bloodstock agent Gary Young, with an opinion usually at the ready on any racing question, was tactfully terse when asked for an analysis of the Classic now less than two weeks hence.

“There's speed in the race, but I don't know if there's Knicks Go-type of speed,” said Young, his vested interest aside since it was he who recommended owner Amr Zedan purchase Medina Spirit for the bargain price of $35,000 at last year's Ocala Two-Year-Old In Training Sale.

“Obviously, Medina's a fast horse, and Hot Rod Charlie's not a slow horse, but Knicks Go is a very fast horse. You couldn't ask for Medina Spirit to be in better hands than Johnny V's (regular rider John Velazquez).

“Medina Spirit ran well in the Sham against Life Is Good (second all the way, beaten three-quarters of a length in the one-mile race on Jan. 2), so I don't think he needs the lead to run well.

“There are some who point out he's four for four when he makes the lead, and gotten beat every time he doesn't make the lead (in three races; he did lead after bobbling in the Preakness, eventually finishing third by 5 ½ lengths).

“But I find it hard to believe a horse with his desire to win has to have the lead to do it. Usually, he's fast enough to be in front.”

Asked if speed would benefit a proven stretch runner like Essential Quality, Young said, “It all depends on how the pace plays out. I suppose the pace could be fast, but let's not forget this:

“The only other time they ran the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar (in 2017), Gun Runner, Collected and West Coast pretty much ran around there one, two, three (in the Classic). Medina Spirit seems to be doing very well, but we'll see what happens.”

Addressing Horse of the Year, despite his affinity for Medina Spirit, Young feels that all but a vacuous effort by the brown or dark bay colt would warrant the prestigious award.

“If he wins the Breeders' Cup Classic and they don't give him Horse of the Year, they might as well throw the trophy away,” Young said. “That said, he could win the Breeders' Cup Classic by five lengths and there are still going to be some haters who will not vote for him.

“But if he wins the race, I don't know how you cannot vote him Horse of the Year, I really don't.”

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For Jim McIngvale, an Astros World Series Win Would Mean $35.6 Million

Horse owner and master promoter Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is no stranger to making big sports bets, but never anything like this. If his beloved Houston Astros win the World Series, McIngvale will make $35.6 million off of a series of bets he made in June. It would be the largest winning wager ever in U.S. sports betting history.

McIngvale often combines his wagers with promotions at his Gallery Furniture Stores in Houston. Earlier this year, he promised his customers that any mattress they bought worth $3,000 or more would be free if the favorite won the GI Kentucky Derby. McIngvale hedged, wagering $2.4 million to win on 5-2 favorite Essential Quality (Tapit), who finished fourth. A winning bet would have been worth a profit of just less than $7 million, which would have more than covered the amount he lost giving away free mattresses. A loss by Essential Quality still meant that he sold thousands of mattresses he otherwise would not have sold. Either way, McIngvale would come out a winner.

In February, McIngvale won $2.72 million on a Super Bowl wager in which he bet $3.46 million on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to cover the 3.5 point spread. It was the single largest legal wager placed on the game.

The latest promotion follows the same blueprint as the Derby wager. An Astros World Series win would mean that anyone buying a mattress during the promotional period would get it for free. Prior to the American League Championship Series, McIngvale estimated that having to give away the mattresses would cost him $20 million. It looks like that number has gone up.

When reached Saturday, a day after the Astros advanced to the World Series with a win over the Boston Red Sox, McIngvale said his store was being overrun by customers looking to take advantage of the promotion.

“Today is the biggest day in the store's history,” he said. “By a factor of about four and it's going up all the time. We're going to sell thousands of mattresses. I can't even count them. We're trying to buy them as fast as we can get them. We can't buy them fast enough. It will literally be thousands of mattresses.”

Believing that the promotion would prove to be a huge success, McIngvale made his wagers on June 10, when the Astros were still considered one of many teams with a good shot at going all the way. He bet $2 million that the Astros would win the World Series with William Hill at odds of 10-1 and another $1 million at 10-1 with Fanduel. He also made two smaller wagers at outlets that gave him 16-1. In total, he bet $3.2 million on the Astros.

The Astros are now an odds-on favorite to win their first World Series since 2017.

“I like to gamble,” McIngvale said. “I gamble big all the time. It's a promotion and it's a hedge. My heart and soul are with the Houston Astros, and, just as with Runhappy, I'm all in.”

For a while, it looked like McIngvale had backed a loser. The Astros fell behind, 2-1, in the series with Boston and their starting pitching was a mess. Many a pundit had already given the series to the Red Sox. Instead, the Astros rallied to win the next three games to close out the series and advance.

“I was not worried,” McIngvale said. “After they got beat Monday night, I was in Boston having a good time and saw some of the players that I know and they were upbeat and positive. I knew that sooner or later every batter on the Red Sox would stop hitting. 500. I knew there would be a statistical swing and things sure swung the Astros way over the last three games.”

Having a potential World Series winner at 10-1 means that McIngavle could “save” and bet some amount to win on the National League team. By doing so, he could lock in a guaranteed profit. It's not going to happen.

“I would consider that treason,” he said. “I would never do that to my boys. I wouldn't do that in a thousand years.”

With so many customers buying mattresses on Saturday, it was difficult for McIngvale to do the math. He knows he will make $35.6 million if the Astros win, but there was no telling how much he would lose giving away so many mattresses. That didn't matter with him. Not only is his heart with his hometown, he wants nothing more than to reward his customers with free mattresses.

“It will make customers happy and that's the whole idea,” he said of an Astros World Championship. “That's the whole idea, making customers happy. That's the name of the game. If the customers get their money back, they will talk about this for decades to come.”

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Knicks Go On Top Of NTRA Poll For 11th Consecutive Week

Korea Racing Stable's 5-year-old horse Knicks Go, the likely morning line favorite for the Grade 1, $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, retained his top ranking for the eleventh consecutive week in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll with 23 first place votes and 339 points.

St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska remained in second place in the poll with six first place votes and 312 points. Trained by Fausto Gutierrez, Letruska is a leading contender for the Grade 1, $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Godolphin's 3-year-old standout colt Essential Quality, who like Knicks Go is trained by 2020 Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, remained in third place in this week's poll with seven first place votes and 299 points. Essential Quality also is being pointed for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, a leading contender for the Grade 1, $2,000,000 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint, moved up one spot to fourth-place in this week's poll with 158 points. Roadrunner Racing, William Strauss, Boat Racing and Gainesway Stable's Hot Rod Charlie, another leading Classic contender, fell one spot to fifth-place in this week's poll with 149 points.

Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine, who is being pointed for the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, moved up one spot to sixth in the poll with 129 points. Zedan Racing Stable's Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful, Medina Spirit (125 points), dropped one spot to seventh-place. There were no other changes in this week's rankings with Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector (95 points), George Hall's Max Player (83 points) and Klaravich Stable's Domestic Spending (68 points) rounding out the top 10.

Click here for this week's complete poll results.

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