Essential Quality | Horse Racing Free Tips

Week in Review: Out of Nowhere, Rock Your World Emerges as Serious Derby Threat

When Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) won the Pasadena S. at Santa Anita Mar. 6, it appeared that he could develop into a quality turf horse, who, like many horses trained by John Sadler, would take a while to fully develop. But Sadler had other ideas. This was going to be his GI Kentucky Derby horse.

“He had always trained well on the dirt,” Sadler said. “Sometimes you run on turf when you don't think they are training well on dirt. He was training well on dirt, but we decided the way to develop him was to start him on the grass and then switch him over. Until they have run on it you can't be 100 % confident, but it wasn't like he had never trained well on the dirt.”

It was easy to overlook Rock Your World in Saturday's GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. He had never run on the dirt, had never run particularly fast and was going up against a Bob Baffert-trained heavy favorite in Medina Spirit (Protonico) in a race that Baffert has dominated. He easily could have been a non-factor before returning to the grass.

Based on what we saw Saturday, Rock Your World has run in his last grass race. After setting the pace, he drew off to win by 4 1/4 lengths and earn a 100 Beyer Speed Figure. With Life Is Good (Into Mischief) on the sidelines, he is the only active 3-year-old to run a figure in the triple digits. Another plus is his running style. He led every step of the way in the Santa Anita Derby under Umberto Rispoli, but doesn't have to have the lead. It's easy to envision him sitting fourth early in the Kentucky Derby, getting the ideal trip. Then there's his breeding. A mile-and-a-quarter will not be a problem.

“What I like most about my horse is with the way he is bred, we always felt the further the better,” Sadler said. “You have Empire Maker on the dam's side and Candy Ride on the top side. I really feel with the way he moves that more distance will be good for him.”

This could be the type of breakthrough 3-year-old Sadler has been waiting for since beginning his career in 1978. While he has excelled with older dirt horses, he's never had a horse good enough to make his presence felt in the Triple Crown races. Sadler is 0-for-4 in the Derby and his best finish came with Corby, who was sixth, in 1993. It took him 17 years to get back to the Derby, and his three starters since 2010 have not finished better than 13th.

“I didn't sleep last night,” Sadler said Sunday morning. “I guess that gives you an indication of how I'm feeling about this. I feel this will be the best chance I've ever had to win the Derby and that we will go in with a good horse. I feel very good about where we are at.”

As for the rest of the field in the Santa Anita Derby, it's hard to imagine anyone but Rock Your World winning at Churchill Downs. Runner-up Medina Spirit is a consistent horse, but his three second-place finishes this year indicate that he is a cut below the very best in the division. Third-place finisher Dream Shake (Twirling Candy) obviously has some talent but he has some catching up to do before he can be considered a top colt.

Essential Quality Solid in Blue Grass Win

Unless Concert Tour (Street Sense) runs a crazy good race in Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby, Essential Quality (Tapit) will be the Derby favorite, but he certainly doesn't look invincible. Not, at least, after the GII Toyota Blue Grass S.

Essential Quality is not one of those horses who ever takes your breath away, and that was again the case Saturday at Keeneland. In what was a two-horse race every step of the way, Essential Quality was able to wear down Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in deep stretch after battling that one most of the way. He won by a neck and earned a 97 Beyer.

Will a similar effort be good enough to win the Kentucky Derby? It may. It may not. Whereas Life Is Good might have been a heavy favorite in the Derby had he stayed healthy, it looks like Essential Quality's odds will be in the 7-2 range.

Highly Motivated will also take some money at Churchill Downs and rightly so. He put up a very good fight in the Blue Grass in his first-ever start around two turns and probably hasn't run anywhere close to his best race yet. The 3-year-old colts are not normally Chad Brown's strength, but he has a good one here in Highly Motivated. Brown is 0-for-5 in the Derby.

“We hooked up at the top of the stretch and we had a good battle all the way to the wire,” said Highly Motivated's rider Javier Castellano. “He ran huge. I am very happy with my horse.”

No one else out of the Blue Grass figures to be a factor in the Derby.

A Shocker in the Wood Memorial

The GII Wood Memorial has struggled in recent years to produce top candidates for the Kentucky Derby and this year looks like it will be more of the same.

No Wood Memorial winner has won the Derby since Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000 and the last Wood starter to win the Derby was Funny Cide in 2003.

Calumet Farm has never been afraid to run big longshots in major races and it paid off Saturday at Aqueduct, where 72-1 Bourbonic (Bernardini) closed for last to win by a neck over Dynamite One (Union Rags). Both are trained by Todd Pletcher and the all-Pletcher exacta paid $906 for $2. The final time was 1:54.49, the slowest ever in the Wood, but the race was run over a very deep racetrack. He got an 89 Beyer figure.

Good job by NBC's Randy Moss, who predicted the final time would be the slowest in the race's history.

Bourbonic, who was ridden by Kendrick Carmouche, clearly took advantage of the fact that several of the top Wood contenders did not run their race. Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro) was seventh and the highly regarded Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro) was sixth in his stakes debut. Crowded Trade (More Than Ready), the second choice at 5-2, ran third but was never a serious threat.

Just one week earlier, it looked like Pletcher might not have a starter in the Derby. He's started at least one horse every year since 2003. He now has four horses who have enough points to get into the Derby field. Along with the two Wood horses, he has GI Curlin Florida Derby winner Known Agenda (Curlin) and Jeff Ruby Steaks S. runner-up Sainthood (Mshawish).

In a year where so much focus has been on diversity, it will be nice to see Carmouche ride in the Derby. He will be the first African American to ride in the race since 2013 and will attempt to become the first black jockey to win it since Jimmy Winkfield in 1902.

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Essential Quality Edges Highly Motivated In A Blue Grass Thriller

Champion Essential Quality had to dig deep to maintain his unblemished record, but the Godolphin homebred colt by Tapit did just that at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, wearing down the front-running Highly Motivated in the final yards to win the Grade 2, $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes by a neck as the 1-2 favorite.

Ridden by Luis Saez for trainer Brad Cox, Essential Quality ran the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:48.50 and paid $3 to his backers for his fifth career victory in as many starts.

Highly Motivated, an Into Mischief colt trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Javier Castellano, fell just short on a track where he scored his only previous stakes victory in the Nyquist Stakes on the Breeders' Cup undercard last Nov. 6, the same day Essential Quality locked up his Eclipse Awrad as champion 2-year-old male with a victory in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Highly Motivated was sent off as the 7-2 second choice in the betting.

It was 5 1/2 lengths back to the third-place finisher, Rombauer, a California invader from Michael McCarthy's barn who was 24-1. Hidden Stash, the G2 Tampa Bay Derby runner-up, finished fourth at 18-1. He was followed across the finish by Keepmeinmind, third behind Essential Quality in the Breeders' Cup. Sittin On Go, Hush of a Stormn, Unbreated and Leblon completed the order of finish in the field of nine.

The top four finishers in the Blue Grass received 100-40-20-10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby, to be run on May 1 at Churchill Downs. No horse has exited the Blue Grass to win the Kentucky Derby since Blue Grass runner-up Street Sense won the roses in 2007. The last Blue Grass winner to win the Kentucky Derby was Strike the Gold in 1991. Essential Quality's connections obviously hope that streak will end in four weeks' time.

Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

The Blue Grass set up as a virtual match race between the the two favorites, who had each run once this year: Essential Quality won the G3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn on Feb. 27 and Highly Motivated finished a troubled third in the G3 Gotham around one turn at Aqueduct on March 6.

Highly Motivated secured the early lead and Essential Quality raced just to his outside throughout. Highly Motivated carved out fractions of :23.83, :48.21 and 1:12.08 for the first six furlongs, when Saez turned up the heat and moved Essential Quality closer to the lead. The top pair was well clear of Rombauer when they straightened away into the stretch.

Highly Motivated wasn't finished, however, clinging to a half-length advantage at the furlong pole after a mile in 1:35.97. But Saez kept asking Essential Quality for more, and the gray colt kept to his task, putting his nose in front in the final sixteenth.

Post-race quotes:

Brad Cox (winning trainer of Essential Quality)

“It's a tremendous feeling. He had to dig in today. It was probably what he needed. It was good for him to get a good test today He did everything easy enough in his last race. I was proud of what he was able to overcome today. Big effort.”

“I was happy where we were (turning for home). I could tell (with) the horse on the inside (Highly Motivated), Javier (Castellano) had horse, and we really had to work to get by him. The horse on the inside (Highly Motivated) ran a huge race. Both of them really duked it out the whole way. It set up for both of them, and they both responded well. That was a good race four weeks out (before the Kentucky Derby-G1). Four weeks from today. Hopefully we're ready.”

Luis Saez (winning rider)

“That other horse was fighting, and I thought we weren't going to get him. But I always had faith in Essential Quality. He's a nice horse No matter how fast or slow the pace, he always wants to be first at the wire.”

Javier Castellano (rider of runner-up Highly Motivated)

“He ran a huge race. I'm very satisfied the way he did it today. I got beat, finished second, but I'm so proud of my horse and the way he did it today. Easy fractions on the lead, he galloped along – that's the first time he did two turns. We tested him a little bit to see how far he could go and he did it. He tried with one of the best horses in the country and I give all the credit to the winner. But I would never complain with my horse and the way he did it.”

Whit Beckman (assistant to Chad Brown, trainer of Highly Motivated)

“That was just a tremendous run he put in. He ran so well and you could tell he just did not want to get beat. When one is trying that hard and you could feel the disappointment. I wasn't confident being on the front end in a big race like this. But Javier got there and my confidence was with Javi and his decisions.”

Florent Geroux (rider of third-place finisher Rombauer)

“I am very happy with his effort today. The two horses in front of him are very nice and we ran a very good effort.”

The post Essential Quality Edges Highly Motivated In A Blue Grass Thriller appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Essential Quality Guts It Out in the Blue Grass

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) gave his connections a few anxious moments in the stretch, but, in the end, he proved why he is a champion with a gutsy score in Keeneland's GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Saturday evening.

Hustling up to contest the early pace, the 1-2 favorite allowed Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) to take control, settling on his outside hip through a :23.83 first quarter and :48.21 half-mile. The top two continued to duke it out as three-quarters went in 1:12.08 with the rest of the field watching from a few lengths back. Essential Quality glided up alongside his foe, looking him in the eye as they entered the far turn. Highly Motivated regained a narrow lead at the top of the stretch, but Essential Quality stuck right with him. Both colts proved all class as they battled down the lane, each refusing to yield as they pulled away from their competition. But, in the end, the relentless Essential Quality muscled past his determined foe to win by a neck. It was 5 1/2 lengths back to Rombauer (Twirling Candy) in third.

“It's a tremendous feeling,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “He had to dig in today. It was probably what he needed. It was good for him to get a good test today. He did everything easy enough in his last race. I was proud of what he was able to overcome today. Big effort.”

He continued, “I was happy where we were [turning for home]. I could tell the horse on the inside [Highly Motivated], Javier [Castellano] had horse, and we really had to work to get by him. [Highly Motivated] ran a huge race. Both of them really duked it out the whole way. It set up for both of them, and they both responded well. That was a good race four weeks out [from the GI Kentucky Derby]. Four weeks from today. Hopefully we're ready.”

“That other horse was fighting, and I thought we weren't going to get him,” said winning rider Luis Saez. “But I always had faith in Essential Quality. He's a nice horse. No matter how fast or slow the pace, he always wants to be first at the wire.”

Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' off an impressive four-length score in his six-panel career bow at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, Essential Quality scored a decisive victory when extended to two turns in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. Oct. 3. He rallied from off the pace to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile in Lexington Nov. 6, clinching the Eclipse award for top 2-year-old male. Making his seasonal bow in a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Feb. 27, the homebred proved he was only getting better as he matured, charging home a 4 1/4-length winner.

Pedigree Notes:

Essential Quality is one of 27 Grade I winners for Gainesway kingpin Tapit, and is one of 142 black-type winners overall (88 graded) for the leading sire. The Eclipse winner joins Frosted as a three-time Grade I winner for their sire, sitting only behind Tonalist, Tapit's most accomplished Grade I-winning son with four victories at the highest level. The late Darley sire Elusive Quality's daughters have been churning out stakes winners for some time, with Essential Quality being one of their 126 black-type winners (54 graded). Third in the GIII Bed o' Roses H., Delightful Quality is a half-sister to champion juvenile filly Folklore (Tiznow), a winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, as well as stakes winner and GIII Tempted S. runner-up Divided Attention (A.P. Indy). She has a 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo; was barren to that sire for 2020; and was covered by the Coolmore stallion's GI Kentucky Derby-winning son Nyquist last spring. Folklore is the granddam of 2020 Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who returns in the G1 Osaka Hai Sunday.

Saturday, Keeneland
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS S.-GII, $800,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:48.50, ft.
1–ESSENTIAL QUALITY, 123, c, 3, by Tapit
                1st Dam: Delightful Quality (GSP, $253,900),
                                by Elusive Quality
                2nd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
                3rd Dam: Jeano, by Fappiano
'TDN Rising Star'. O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Luis Saez. $480,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-US,
5-5-0-0, $2,265,144. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Highly Motivated, 123, c, 3, Into Mischief–Strong Incentive,
by Warrior's Reward. ($240,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Klaravich Stables (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$160,000.
3–Rombauer, 123, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Cashmere, by Cowboy
Cal. O-Fradkin, John and Fradkin, Diane; B-John Fradkin &
Diane Fradkin (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $80,000.
Margins: NK, 5HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 3.60, 24.00.
Also Ran: Hidden Stash, Keepmeinmind, Sittin On Go, Hush of a Storm, Untreated, Leblon.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Essential Quality Guts It Out in the Blue Grass appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Weekend Lineup: Saturday’s Triple On The Road To The Kentucky Derby

A trio of Kentucky Derby qualifying races are set to take place on April 3 and Keeneland kicks off its Spring Meet one year after having to cancel the meet due to the coronavirus pandemic. Champion Essential Quality, the No. 1-ranked horse on the NTRA Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll, headlines Keeneland's signature prep race, the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes, while other top-flight contenders will square off in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park. All three races distribute Kentucky Derby points to the top four finishers on a 100-40-20-10 basis.

The Blue Grass Stakes, Wood Memorial, and Santa Anita Derby will be televised by NBC Sports as part of their “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series during a two-hour program airing on NBCSN and beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Prior to the NBCSN broadcast, national television coverage of the Wood Memorial Day card from Aqueduct can be found on America's Day at the Races on FS2 beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

TVG will be broadcasting every race, every day with expanded coverage of Keeneland's Spring Meet which begins on April 2nd and runs through April 23rd. In addition to racing from Keeneland, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, TVG will feature racing from Oaklawn Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

Friday, April 2

4:34 p.m. —$150,000 Grade 3 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct on FS2 and TVG

Anderson Stables' Lady Kate looks to make the grade in Friday's Distaff, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares. Trained by Eddie Kenneally, the Grade 1-placed Lady Kate will make her seasonal debut following an off-the-board effort in the Breeders' Cup Distaff won by eventual Champion Older Dirt Female Monomoy Girl in November at Keeneland. The 5-year-old Bernardini mare, who finished second to Monomoy Girl in the Grade 1 La Troienne in September at Churchill Downs, enjoyed a four-win campaign in 2020, including a score in the one-mile Groupie Doll in August at Ellis Park.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040221USA7-EQB.html

4:57 p.m. —$150,000 Grade 3 Beaumont Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Erich Brehm's My Girl Red, stylish winner of last summer's Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar, headlines a field of seven 3-year-old fillies entered for the 36th running of the Beaumont, which offers 17 points toward the Kentucky Oaks on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers. Trained by Keith Desormeaux, My Girl Red will be making her 2021 debut on Friday. James Graham will be aboard for the first time and break from post one.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040221USA8-EQB.html

5:30 p.m. —$150,000 Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Three Diamonds Farm's Fire At Will, winner of last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, will face five rivals in the 33rd running of the Transylvania Stakes for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Trained by Mike Maker, who saddled Field Pass to a victory in the 2020 Transylvania, Fire At Will returns to the turf after finishing eighth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on dirt in his most recent start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040221USA9-EQB.html

Saturday, April 3

2:21 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes at Aqueduct on FS2 and TVG

A compact but competitive field of 3-year-old dirt sprinters has assembled for the Bay Shore at seven furlongs led by Florida shipper Drain the Clock, who enters off a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. While the temptation for most connections would be to forge ahead on the Kentucky Derby trail after picking up 20 qualifying points in the Fountain of Youth, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and the ownership group have elected to focus on shorter races with their talented sophomore. Drain the Clock has four wins in dirt dashes, including a pair of open-length tallies at Gulfstream during their recent Championship Meet.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040321USA4-EQB.html

3:25 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Carter Handicap at Aqueduct on FS2 and TVG

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex will look to breakthrough at the highest level in Saturday's Carter Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses. Mischevious Alex, a 4-year-old Into Mischief colt trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., won the one-turn mile Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and seven-furlong Grade 3 Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park last year for former conditioner John Servis. The versatile dark bay is perfect in two starts since joining the Joseph, Jr. stable, including a prominent score in the Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on February 13 last out traveling six furlongs on a fast track.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040321USA6-EQB.html

3:51 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Bethlehem Stables' Plum Ali, last seen at Keeneland finishing fifth as the second choice in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, tops a field of six 3-year-old fillies entered for the 33rd running of the Appalachian Stakes going a mile on the turf. Trained by Christophe Clement, Plum Ali won her first three starts, including the Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs and the Grade 2 Miss Grillo Stakes Belmont, prior to the Breeders' Cup.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040321USA6-EQB.html

4:24 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Something Special Racing's Grade 1 winner Hog Creek Hustle heads a field of seven 4-year-olds and up entered for the 34th running of the Commonwealth Stakes at seven furlongs on the main track. Trained by Vickie Foley, Hog Creek Hustle took the Grade 1 Woody Stephens in 2019 and has started in the past two runnings of the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Corey Lanerie has the mount and will break from post seven.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040321USA7-EQB.html

4:31 p.m.—$150,000 Grade 3 Excelsior Stakes at Aqueduct on FS2 and TVG

Coming off a pair of stakes wins on the local strip, the venerable New York-bred Mr. Buff will look to finally break through in a graded stakes race on Saturday when he lines up against six rivals in the nine-furlong Excelsior for 4-year-olds and up. Mr. Buff, who has already secured millionaire status, has 17 wins to his credit, 11 of them in stakes races, but has been unable to seal the deal in a graded race in five attempts. Despite his graded woes, the 7-year-old son of Friend Or Foe has compiled an imposing resume. His ledger at Aqueduct features 10 wins and earnings in excess of $600,000.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040321USA8-EQB.html

4:57 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Wesley Ward's Bound for Nowhere and Breeze Easy's Imprimis, respective winners of the 2018 and 2019 runnings of the Shakertown, headline a field of 13 3-year-olds and up entered for Saturday's 25th edition of the $200,000 race going 5½ furlongs on the grass. Also trained by Ward, Bound for Nowhere was caught late in the past two runnings of the Shakertown, finishing a neck behind Imprimis in 2019 when running second, and a neck behind Leinster and Totally Boss in last year's running that was his most recent start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040321USA8-EQB.html

5:09 p.m.—$250,000 Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct on FS2 and TVG

Trainer Chad Brown will send out a pair of stakes winners who are looking to take the next step up against graded company, with the duo competing as part of an eight-horse field in Saturday's Gazelle, which offers 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top-four finishers to the Kentucky Oaks. Brown enter the respective first and third-place finishers from the Busher Invitational on March 6, saddling Klaravich Stables' Search Results and Louis Lazzinnaro's The Grass Is Blue. Search Results, unraced as a juvenile, improved to 2-for-2 in her career with a half-length score over Miss Brazil in the Busher, contested over a one-turn mile on an Aqueduct fast track.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040321USA9-EQB.html

5:14 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Sensational in her two previous stateside starts, Phil D'Amato's Going Global (IRE) heads a field of seven sophomore fillies going a 1 1/8-miles on turf in the Providencia Stakes. Ridden by Flavien Prat in both local starts, Going Global surged late in her U.S. debut, the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes on February 14. In her first try around two turns, Going Global was off as the even money favorite in the one mile turf China Doll Stakes March 6 and she did not disappoint as she unfurled an explosive stretch rally en route to a three quarter length score.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA040321USA5-EQB.html

5:30 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 1 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Undefeated Malathaat and Simply Ravishing headline a field of six 3-year-old fillies for Saturday's 84th running of the Ashland Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on the main track. Favored at 9-5 on the morning line is Malathaat, who is making her 2021 debut. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Malathaat closed her 2020 campaign with a victory in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. Trained by two-time race winner Kenny McPeek, Simply Ravishing romped to a 6¼-length victory in last fall's Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes before finishing a troubled fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040321USA9-EQB.html

5:48 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Separated by a head when last they met on March 7, Bob Baffert's Beautiful Gift and Michael McCarthy's Moraz will square off again as they head a field of five sophomore fillies in the Santa Anita Oaks, which offers 100 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the winner. Beautiful Gift broke her maiden two starts back on October 23 at a flat mile and then rallied to nail Moraz on the money in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel on March 7.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA040321USA6-EQB.html

5:58 p.m.—$750,000 Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct on NBCSN

Unbeaten Prevalence and Grade 3 Withers-winner Risk Taking highlight a strong field for Saturday's 96th running of the Wood Memorial. Godolphin, whose royal blue colors saw the winner's circle in the 2015 Wood Memorial with Frosted, will seek their second Wood triumph with the highly regarded Prevalence. The Brendan Walsh-trained son of Medaglia d'Oro is 2-for-2 at Gulfstream Park to start and his career will see two turns for the first time.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/AQU040321USA10-EQB.html

6:02 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 1 Madison Stakes at Keeneland on TVG

Lothenbach Stables' Bell's the One, winner of the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff and third in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, headlines a field of seven fillies and mares entered for the Madison going seven furlongs on the main track. Trained by Neil Pessin, Bell's the One will be making her 2021 debut in the Madison. Winner of the 2019 Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland, Bell's the One will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and break from post position four.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040321USA10-EQB.html

6:35 p.m.—$800,000 Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on NBCSN and TVG

Godolphin's undefeated homebred Essential Quality, the champion 2-year-old male of 2020, is the 3-5 morning line choice in a field of nine 3-year-olds entered for the 97th running of the Blue Grass Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality debuted September 5 at Churchill on Kentucky Derby Day and followed that triumph with victories in Keeneland's Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile to sew up the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male. In his lone start of 2021, Essential Quality won the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 4¼ lengths on February 27.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/KEE040321USA11-EQB.html

6:54 p.m.—$600,000 Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park on TVG

Pauline's Pearl and Sun Path ran 2-3, respectively, in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes on March 6 and the two meet again in the Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Pauline's Pearl is out of Grade 1 winner Hot Dixie Chick and broke her maiden at third asking at Fair Grounds on February 12.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/OP040321USA11-EQB.html

7:15 p.m.—$750,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park on NBCSN and TVG

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out likely favorite Medina Spirit in Saturday's Santa Anita Derby, a race that he's won a record nine times. Medina Spirit, who was second, beaten eight lengths by his recently sidelined stablemate Life Is Good in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, was a gate to wire winner of the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes two starts back on January 30. A first-out maiden winner going 5 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos December 11, Medina Spirit then flew to be second, beaten three quarters of a length by Life Is Good going a flat mile in the Sham Stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA040321USA8-EQB.html

7:46 p.m.—$200,000 Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Fresh off of a pair of dominating turf wins, trainer Phil D'Amato's Charmaine's Mia heads a solid field of eight older fillies and mares going one mile on turf in the Royal Heroine Stakes. Previously headquartered at Woodbine Racetrack, Charmaine's Mia, in her first start for D'Amato was a rousing 2 ½ length winner of the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes going six furlongs on turf January 9 while dismissed at odds of 16-1.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA040321USA9-EQB.html

Sunday, April 4

4:30 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Idle since winning the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint November 7 at Keeneland, champion female sprinter Gamine towers over her competition going six furlongs in Sunday's Las Flores Stakes. Supplemented at a cost of $2,000, owner Michael Lund Petersen's Gamine will face three rival fillies and mares in what will be her first start at Santa Anita since she aired by 6 ¼ lengths in her debut on March 7, 2020. A winner of both the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park on June 20 and the Grade 1 Test Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga August 8, Gamine has four wins from six starts with earnings of $883,000.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA040421USA2-EQB.html

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