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Cox Pleased With Essential Quality’s Blue Grass Performance: ‘I Liked That He Got A Test’

Trainer Brad Cox was a happy camper Sunday morning, pleased with all aspects of the gutty victory by Godolphin's undefeated champion Essential Quality in Saturday's $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

“He looks good this morning and I am happy with the way he came out of the race,” Cox said of Essential Quality, a son of Tapit who extended his unbeaten streak to five with his neck victory over Highly Motivated. “I liked that he got a test yesterday. It was not like he just galloped up to the leader and went on by.”

Cox said Essential Quality would go to Churchill Downs Monday morning after training hours to join his string there and continue preparations for the $3-million Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 1.

Essential Quality might be joined soon at Churchill by the Into Mischief colt Highly Motivated, according to Whit Beckman, assistant to trainer Chad Brown.

“He is good this morning,” Beckman said of Highly Motivated. “He put in a valiant effort yesterday going two turns for the first time. He took all the heat and kept battling.

“I am not sure (how long he will stay here), but knowing Chad I would not be surprised to see him go to Churchill for a couple of works.”

John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer, who picked up 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with his third-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass, might wait for the Preakness (G1) on May 15, trainer Michael McCarthy said via text.

The Kentucky Derby is limited to the top 20 point earners that pass the entry box and Rombauer has 34 points, which is good for 21st on the leaderboard with two more points races to go on Saturday: the Arkansas Derby (G1), which awards 170 points on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the top four finishers, and Keeneland's Stonestreet Lexington (G3), which offers 34 points on a 20-8-4-2 scale.

Prior to the Toyota Blue Grass, Rombauer won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields and earned an automatic berth into the Preakness.

BBN Racing's Hidden Stash picked up 10 Derby points for his fourth-place finish to boost his total to 32, good for 23^rd on the leaderboard.

“He is good this morning,” trainer Vicki Oliver said. “We will see what the owners want to do – either the Derby or, if he looks tired, wait for the Preakness or Belmont.”

The Kentucky Derby dream ended for Cypress Creek, Arnold Bennewith and Spendthrift Farm's Keepmeinmind with his fifth-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass, a position that earned him no points toward the Run for the Roses. Keepmeinmind, runner-up to Essential Quality in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) and third to him in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance here last fall, has 18 points and stands 28th on the leaderboard.

“I don't know what to tell you (about the Toyota Blue Grass performance),” trainer Robertino Diodoro said before heading back to his main string at Oaklawn Park. “Obviously we don't have enough points and what's next, that's the million-dollar question.”

The day was not a total loss for Diodoro as Cypress Creek's Ava's Grace finished second in the Fantasy (G3) at Oaklawn and picked up 40 points toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and a likely spot in the 14-horse starting gate.

“We are pretty excited about her,” Diodoro said. “I don't know if she will come here first and then go to Louisville but either way we have to get her up here ASAP from Oaklawn.”

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Blue Grass Contender Hidden Stash ‘Looking More And More Like A Diamond’

Under operation for less than three years, BBN Racing is proud of its accomplishments with such runners as Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose, raced in partnership with Ashbrook Farm, and Grade 2-placed Hidden Stash. Concrete Rose sold for $1.95 million to top Keeneland's 2020 November Breeding Stock Sale, and Hidden Stash, purchased at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is to make his next start here in Saturday's $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2).

“It's incredibly exciting for us to be running in the Blue Grass,” said Braxton Lynch, a Founding Partner of BBN Racing with Brian Klatsky and Brendan O'Brien. “As a syndicate manager, I can't promise winners or earnings, but what we did promise was enormous amounts of fun and great communication. I feel like we have delivered on that thus far with Concrete Rose and Hidden Stash and if the wins and earnings follow, that will be icing on the cake.”

In Kentucky, “BBN” means only one thing: the University of Kentucky fandom. The enthusiastic group inspired the racing operation's name.

“BBN Racing does stand for Big Blue Nation, not because all the partners are from Kentucky – most of the partners are huge sports fans,” Lynch said. “Big Blue Nation is known for its enthusiasm and passion and that's what we wanted to capture with BBN Racing. It's made up of friends and family who watched horse racing from the sidelines and has given them a chance to participate, while spreading the (investment) risk. Several of the partners will be at Keeneland on Saturday.”

Hidden Stash, a colt by Constitution bred in Kentucky by Rhineshire Farm, comes from the family of Grade 1 winner and sire Sky Mesa and Grade 1 winner Maxfield. Vinery Sales, agent for Rhineshire Farm, consigned him to the September Sale, where he sold to BBN for $50,000.

“He was quite immature at the time,” Lynch said, “and I remember thinking that we might have just found a diamond in the rough. Either that or just a piece of coal. Luckily, he's looking more and more like a diamond.”

Trained by Vicki Oliver, Hidden Stash received his early training at Keeneland. He scored his first career victory here during the 2020 Fall Meet and next won an allowance race at Churchill Downs. Hidden Stash was third in the Sam F. Davis (G3) and second in the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) in his first two starts at 3.

In the Toyota Blue Grass, Hidden Stash drew post 1 and will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.

“This horse is tactical and can adapt to whatever options are thrown at him,” Lynch said. “He's a horse that has improved with every race. We've been itching to stretch him out, and I think he's slowly maturing into the kind of horse we hoped he would be. He tries hard every time, and that's all you can ask these athletes to do.”

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Helium Remains Unbeaten With Tampa Bay Derby Surprise

D J Stable's Helium transformed his synthetic track form to dirt and improved his record to a perfect 3-for-3 with an off-the-pace victory in Saturday's Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, Fla.

Trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ferrer, Helium ran 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:43.55 and paid $32.80 as a 15-1 longshot. Hidden Stash, who ranged up to challenge the winner in mid-stretch, finished second as the 3-1 second choice, with another longshot, 34-1 Moonlite Strike third, Unbridled Honor finished fourth, with King of Dreams fifth. Candy Man Rocket, the 8-5 favorite coming off a victory in the G3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, was never a factor.

The Tampa Bay Derby offered 85 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby with 50-20-10-5 to the top four finishers.

From the first crop of Ironicus, a top-class turf performer by Distorted Humor, Helium won his first two starts on the Tapeta synthetic surface at Woodbine, including a 4 1/4-length victory in the Display Stakes in his most recent start on Oct. 18.

Boca Boy reprised his role from the Sam F. Davis, setting the pace through fractions of :23.23, :47.06 and 1:11.38 for the first six furlongs. King of Dreams and Moonlite Strike were in closest pursuit, with Helium kept to the far outside in the run down the backstretch, with Hidden Stash just behind him.

Approaching the far turn, Ferrer put Helium in a four-wide drive and had the lead entering the stretch. Hidden Stash rallied alongside Helium, possibly putting his nose in front just inside the eighth pole, but Helium fought back and gradually edged clear approaching the wire.

“I'm just so happy to ride my first Tampa Bay Derby,” said Ferrer. “I always wanted to ride this race. Mark Casse gave me a great opportunity to go out there and do my job and do my thing. On the backside, I had all kind of horse under me, and I could see who had more horse and when I set him down at the three-eighths pole, I could see I had a chance. I just had so much horse and he flew down the lane. Then I think he got by himself and kind of got bored and he thought, game over. But I still had plemty of horse and be re-broke again.”

“He trained well enough that we thought he deserved a chance,” Casse said. “Again, I have to give so much credit to Nick Tomlinson who had him down at Palm Meadows for us. We had thought about running in the Gotham and thought, if we're going to try the dirt, let's run him close to home. It worked well for us.

“This horse is something because he got away a little slow today and we had planned on him being closer,” Casse added. “He made that big wide run, he made the lead but (after Hidden Stash rallied) I was going to be happy with second. I thought, we can build on this, because this is only his third start and there is a lot of room for improvement. What was amazing is that he wasn't overly exhausted after the race. He's a beautiful horse, he's bred to run all day long and he looks like a Derby horse, so it's exciting.”

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Candy Man Rocket to Beat in Tampa Bay Derby

After recording a stalk-and-pounce victory in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Feb. 6, Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) will have 11 rivals standing in his way to double up in Saturday's GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. The Tampa Bay Derby carries 50-20-10-5 qualifying points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

The Frank Fletcher colorbearer previously romped by 9 1/4 lengths at second asking going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 9. He received 85 Beyer Speed Figures in both efforts.

The Sam Davis was Candy Man Rocket's first start around two turns. The fifth-place finisher that day Known Agenda (Curlin) returned with a daylight optional claiming tally at Gulfstream Feb. 26.

Candy Man Rocket, the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Tampa Bay Derby, worked a bullet four furlongs in :48 3/5 (1/36) at Payson Park Feb. 28. He is drawn in post three with Junior Alvarado aboard.

“The [Tampa Bay Derby] has been on our minds since he won the Sam F. Davis,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “Any time you get a horse that runs well over that racetrack, you have to give it consideration.”

He continued, “It seems like he is doing equally as well now as he was before the Davis. He's got good natural speed away from the gate, which can always be an advantage for any horse, position-wise. The chances of getting a good trip might be better than they would for a deep closer, especially in a big field.”

After completing his juvenile campaign with two straight route wins in Kentucky, Hidden Stash (Constitution) rallied smartly from eighth after a ground-saving trip to finish third–beaten just 1 1/4 lengths–while making his stakes debut in the Sam Davis. The addition of more speed types in this full field should certainly play in his favor.

Helium (Ironicus) tries dirt for the first time in his sophomore debut. He was perfect from two tries for Mark Casse going seven furlongs over the Woodbine synthetic last term, most recently dominating six rivals in the Display S. Oct. 18.

Promise Keeper (Constitution), a well-beaten fourth behind Candy Man Rocket sprinting on debut, stretched to a mile with a sharp, front-running maiden victory for Todd Pletcher in the Gulfstream slop Feb. 6. He will have to work out a trip in his two-turn debut from post 11. Pletcher has won the Tampa Bay Derby a record five times and will also tighten the girth on Unbridled Honor (Honor Code), who took a big step forward to annex a local two-turn maiden special weight at third asking Feb. 6.

After saddling King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) to a shocking 49-1 victory in last year's Tampa Bay Derby following a third-place finish in the grassy Pulpit S., trainer Juan C. Avila will go turf-to-dirt once again with Jan. 30 wire-to-wire Gulfstream maiden winner King of Dreams (Air Force Blue).

Super Strong (Super Saver), winner of the Classico Agustin Mercado Revron S. first out in Puerto Rico Dec. 19, shows up in this ambitious spot for his U.S. debut. He worked a bullet five furlongs for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. in :59 3/5 (1/30) at Palm Meadows Feb. 13.

“He has trained well enough to give it a shot,” said Joseph, who will also saddle longshots Awesome Gerry (Liam's Map) and Moonlite Strike (Liam's Map). “It's hard to judge his form in Puerto Rico, but he acts like the distance will be no problem. We aren't giving up much experience to most of the other horses in the race. We definitely would like him to have another race in him, but we have to play the hand we're dealt.”

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