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Brennan: Essential Quality ‘The Total Package’ From Day One

Niall Brennan has prepared young horses for their racing careers long enough to know a potential star when he sees one. When he broke Grade 1 Runhappy Travers winner Essential Quality at his training center in Ocala, Fla., he said he saw a bright future ahead of the sensational Tapit colt.

Trained by Eclipse Award winning conditioner Brad Cox, Godolphin's Essential Quality added a fourth Grade 1 triumph to his stellar ledger on Saturday by winning the Grade 1, $1.25 million Runhappy Travers.

Essential Quality earned Champion 2-Year-Old honors last season with victories in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, both at Keeneland.

Following his lone defeat when fourth in the Kentucky Derby, Essential Quality racked up meaningful wins in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 5 and the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 30 at Saratoga. In doing so, he became the first horse since Arts and Letters in 1969 to take down all three races.

“We had a few Godolphin colts and he was one that you could really see the light going on,” Brennan recalled. “Especially for a Tapit colt, many of them can be unfocused. They can be a little tough, but this lad wasn't. He was a good feeling colt but always very professional and smart.”

Brennan said that progeny of multiple champion producing sire Tapit can be tough to handle, but Essential Quality carried himself in a professional manner.

“Tapits are tough. They're hardy,” Brennan said. “The ones that are good are very good. He was never a bad actor, and was always a smart horse. He played around like all colts do. They get turned out every day in the paddock. He always showed that he would go to the racetrack, love his job and train well. Every day he would catch your eye.”

Brennan described Essential Quality as the “total package” because he had many attributes that great horses display early on in their development.

“You know they have talent when they have a good frame of mind, demeanor and conformation. He was the total package,” Brennan said. “When he went on to Brad, he just kept going and stepping forward. He was easy to be around. He was one of those colts. You can't ever say for sure how good a horse will be until they go out there on the track and do it, but he had done everything right.”

Brennan said Essential Quality really started flaunting his excellence early on in his 2-year-old year.

“You could tell he had that ability and had taken better shape physically and putting it all together,” Brennan said. “It was a nice progression from February to March and March to April, The good ones keep progressing and focus on their work. He did show talent and that he really loved his job.”

Brennan's sentiments were echoed by Godolphin USA president Jimmy Bell.

“I remember the comments from him early on. Niall said, 'You can go wherever you want to go and do whatever you want to do with him',” Bell recalled. “He was very, very forward. All you had to do was ask him and he would deliver whatever it is you might be wanting. When he came in to Brad as a 2-year-old, in his second or third breeze he had Brad scratching his head because he was doing things a little differently than the rest of them. The talent isn't a surprise, the surprise is how much he's done with it in the afternoon.”

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Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance To Be Featured Whitney Weekend At Saratoga

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) has announced a series of events to highlight the work of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) on Saturday, Aug. 7 and Sunday, Aug. 8 at Saratoga Race Course.

The TAA is the nonprofit organization that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Based in Lexington, KY, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members.

Since inception in 2012, the TAA has granted more than $20.7 million to accredited aftercare organizations, assisting 12,900 Thoroughbreds. Currently 81 aftercare organizations supporting approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation.

On Saturday, Aug. 7, the TAA will be featured at the NYRA Community Booth, where fans will be able to learn about the organization's mission from TAA representatives, and to make a donation in exchange for a Remi Bellocq cartoon t-shirt and a variety of racing items like saddle towels and goggles.

Racing fans can also show their support by opting to make a donation to the TAA throughout the Saratoga meet when cashing a winning ticket on an AmTote International self-service betting terminal. All donations are tax deductible.

On Sunday, Aug. 8, horses will don NYRA-donated TAA saddle towels for a race named in honor of the TAA. In the winner's circle after the race, the TAA will present awards to the best turned-out horse and to the winning groom and connections.

“Many consider the Whitney Stakes as the marque race for older horses at Saratoga,” said TAA President Jimmy Bell. “What better stage for the TAA to be present and share in the excitement of the day and the commitment to Thoroughbred aftercare.”

“Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Weekend is a golden opportunity to share the kind of productive careers that Thoroughbreds can enjoy after they leave the track,” said Stacie Clark-Rogers of the TAA. “In many cases, these are talented and highly trainable horses who demonstrate an ability to flourish in new careers like show jumping and dressage. Training and owning these horses can be also an important and rewarding experience.”

The New York Thoroughbred industry is a leader in aftercare, donating more than $1.28 million toward racehorse retirement every year. In addition to the contributions made by NYRA, the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA), the New York Thoroughbred Breeders (NYTB), the NYRA jockey colony, and individual owners and trainers, there have been two ground-breaking programs implemented at the NYRA tracks. Owners pay a per-start fee for every horse that races, and they pay a surcharge on every horse claimed out of a NYRA race. Those two programs alone raise about $500,000 every year.

To learn more about the TAA, visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

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TAA Featured Whitney Week

A series of events will highlight the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) Aug. 7-8 at Saratoga Race Course, according to The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA). On Saturday, the non-profit organization will be featured at the NYRA Community Booth, where fans will be able to learn about the organization's mission, and to make a donation in exchange for a Remi Bellocq cartoon t-shirt and a variety of racing items like saddle towels and goggles. Fans can also make a donation to the TAA throughout the Saratoga meet when cashing a winning ticket on an AmTote International self-service betting terminal. All donations are tax deductible.

“Many consider the Whitney S. as the marque race for older horses at Saratoga,” said TAA President Jimmy Bell. “What better stage for the TAA to be present and share in the excitement of the day and the commitment to Thoroughbred aftercare.”

On Sunday, horses will don NYRA-donated TAA saddle towels for a race named in honor of the TAA. In the winner's circle after the race, the TAA will present awards to the best turned-out horse and to the winning groom and connections.

The TAA is the nonprofit organization that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain, and rehome Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. The New York Thoroughbred industry donates more than $1.28 million toward racehorse retirement annually.

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Essential Quality Exits Jim Dandy In Good Order, Targets Travers Next

Essential Quality, the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets winner, was a determined victor of Saturday's $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and will now target the meet's signature event, the $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 28.

The Godolphin-owned son of Tapit, trained by Brad Cox, overcame a five-wide trip on both turns, rating at the rear of the compact field down the backstretch and fended off an inside rally from Keepmeinmind to finish off the nine furlongs in 1:49.92 over the fast main track.

“The more I looked at it, the more I wondered how much pace was in the race and then I thought we'd be forwardly placed just because he was fresh,” Cox said. “The horse to the inside of us [Keepmeinmind] was also fresh. I think it played out kind of the way we expected. Obviously, I didn't think we would be caught quite as wide, but I thought it would be a well-grouped bunch of horses going into the first turn. He's able to dig in and fight and continue on.”

The Jim Dandy marked a sixth graded stakes victory from the gray sophomore colt, who earned championship honors last season with victories in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, both at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

After a triumphant 3-year-old debut over a sloppy track in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., he returned to the Lexington oval in the Grade 2 Blue Grass where he bested Highly Motivated to secure victory by a neck.

Essential Quality suffered his only defeat as the favorite in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby when fourth beaten a length after a wide trip in upper stretch, but returned to action with a determined victory in the Belmont Stakes when outdueling Hot Rod Charlie down the lane to win by 1 ¼ lengths.

“We always thought he was a good horse, but you just always hope all of them show that talent to reach a Grade 1 level,” Cox said. “Obviously, he was able to do that in only his second start, so he answered a lot of our questions early on as to how good he was.”

Cox expressed appreciation in being able to train horses for a world-class racing and breeding operation like Godolphin.

“Obviously, this is a dream come true, but it's a lot of hard work, good horses, great staff, and great clientele that has given us the opportunity and put us in the position to succeed,” Cox said.

Essential Quality would look to become the first horse since Alpha to capture the Jim Dandy-Runhappy Travers double.

Cox could hold a strong hand for the Runhappy Travers as Juddmonte Farm's Mandaloun, winner of the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, is also a possible contender. Cox said a breeze next weekend will likely determine which direction Mandaloun goes.

Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin's North American operations, expressed satisfaction in running Essential Quality before the Travers and said both he and Cox were on the same page in terms of running in the Jim Dandy.

“Things are looking well, we have some nice things to look forward to,” Bell said following the Jim Dandy. “He got a lot out of this race. I would not take this for granted and Brad said very quickly he was glad he ran him. I think this will move him forward to his training for the Travers. We're obviously very pleased with the effort, the outcome and he keeps on showing up.”

Essential Quality is out of the multiple stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality, who has a 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo named Famed in training at Keeneland.

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