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.
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