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Belmont Winner Essential Quality On Top Of Final NTRA 3-Year-Old Poll

The winner of the Grade 1, 153rd Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets and the final No. 1 ranking in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Three-Year-Old Poll, was on the line in deep stretch of Saturday's 1 ½-mile Test of the Champion until Essential Quality, the 6-5 favorite, edged past Hot Rod Charlie to prevail by 1 ¼ lengths.

As a result, in the final Top 3-year-old poll of national media, Godolphin's Essential Quality, trained by Brad Cox, gained the top spot, earning all 37 first-place votes for a total of 370 points. Boat Racing, Gainesway Stable, Road Runner Racing and William Strauss' Hot Rod Charlie, trained by Doug O'Neill, finished second with 298 points.

The 1-2 Belmont finish of Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie was the same result as last November's Grade 1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance at Keeneland when Essential Quality defeated Hot Rod Charlie by three-quarters of a length. This year, Essential Quality won both the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland before finishing fourth as the 5-2 favorite in the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. After a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita to open the season, Hot Rod Charlie won the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds in March, and finished third in the Kentucky Derby.

John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer was the poll leader going into the final week off his upset win in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 15. Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rombauer finished third in the Belmont Stakes and third in the poll with 282 points.

Juddmonte's Mandaloun, also trained by Cox, who crossed the wire second in the Kentucky Derby, finished in the fourth place with 227 points. Shadwell Stable's undefeated filly, Malathaat, winner of the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks, wound up in fifth place with 177 points. Zedan Racing's Medina Spirit, third in the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby, finished in sixth place with 164 points.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, second in the Preakness, finished in seventh place with 147 points. Two horses entered the top 10 in the final week. Klaravich Stables' dark bay filly Search Results, winner of Saturday's Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at Belmont, received 74 votes to reach eighth place, and Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock, who won Belmont's Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes, claimed the ninth spot with 66 points. CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good, winner of the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, finished 10th with 48 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide continues atop the NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll for older horses, but there was a shake up in the rankings after him. Winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 27, Mystic Guide, trained by Mike Stidham, received 27 first place votes and 337 points. Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's 4-year-old Silver State has jumped from 13th to second place this week following his 1-length victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State, a winner of all four of his starts this year, has one-first place and 242 points. St. George Stable's Letruska (240 points), who captured Belmont's Grade 1 Ogden Phipps for trainer Fausto Gutierrez, rises from seventh to third place.

Another Klaravich runner on the move is Domestic Spending (234 points), who jumped from 10th to fourth place after winning Saturday's Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes at Belmont for trainer Chad Brown. The 4-year-old Charlatan, runner-up in the Group 1 Saudi Cup, drops to fifth place with 161 points. Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, remains in sixth place with one first-place vote and 134 points. My Racehorse, Spendthrift Farm LLC and Madaket Stables' Monomoy Girl, the 2020 older dirt female Eclipse Award-winner, is now in seventh place with 131 points. The 4-year-old Gamine (121 points), last year's champion female sprinter, stays in eighth place. Essential Quality enters the National Poll this week with one first-place vote and 118 points. Knicks Go (49 points), fourth in the Metropolitan Handicap, drops from a second-place tie last week to 10th place.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-june-7-2021/

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Fulsome Maintains ‘Winn’-ing Ways at Churchill

Four weeks after the commonly owned 'TDN Rising Star' and stablemate Mandaloun (Into Mischief) crossed the line second in the GI Kentucky Derby, Juddmonte's Fulsome (Into Mischief) was afforded his own chance to shine and made the most of the opportunity in Saturday's GIII Matt Winn S., overcoming a sluggish break to defeat Derby fifth O Besos (Orb) and that race's eighth-place finisher Helium (Ironicus) in convincing fashion.

Sent off the 17-10 chalk to remain perfect in three tries on the main track, the impeccably bred bay walked out of barrier five, but that caused jockey Florent Geroux little concern, as he settled Fulsome last of the septet as Helium poked through from between rivals to take up the running. Allowed to dictate reasonably soft fractions of :23.75 and :48.69, Helium galloped along comfortably enough as Fulsome continued to trail from within striking distance. O Besos was the first to come after the front-runner as the field neared the stretch, rolling up boldly three wide, but Fulsome had that move covered and was just finding his best stride four deep off the final corner. Fulsome claimed his two chief market rivals with relative ease outside of the eighth pole and strode home a good-looking winner.

“I was pretty confident he could take some dirt in his face and got him to relax early,” Geroux explained. “I was just hoping they were going fast up front after the slow break. He was able to go past those horses easily to win.”

Hailing from an extremely versatile female family, Fulsome began his career on the grass, besting three next-out winners when graduating by a neck at third asking at the Fair Grounds. Fourth in the Feb. 27 Black Gold S. in New Orleans, the bay romped in a rained-off Keeneland allowance in the slop Apr. 10 and was exiting a hard-fought, 1 1/4-length success in the May 1 Oaklawn S., getting the better of fellow Brad Cox trainee Warrant (Constitution).

Pedigree Notes:

Fulsome, the 43rd graded winner for his all-conquering sire, was produced by a winning daughter of French MSW & GSP Viviana, whose distinguished produce include Juddmonte's Sightseek (Distant View), a seven-time Grade I winner at distances from seven to nine furlongs on the dirt and dam of GSP Raison d'Etat (A.P. Indy); and Tates Creek (Rahy), a dual Grade I winner on the turf whose son Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) won his second race at group level in the G3 Premier's Cup Saturday at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Australia.

Fulsome's third dam Nijinsky Star, a half-sister to champion Chief's Crown (Danzig)'s dam Six Crowns (Secretariat x Chris Evert), was responsible for GSW & GISP Revasser (Riverman) and SW & MGISP Hometown Queen (Pleasant Colony), the 1987 GI Kentucky Oaks runner-up who would go on to produce GSW & MGISP sire Bowman's Band (Dixieland Band), whose unraced full-sister Etats Unis was the dam of MGSW & MGISP sire Pollard's Vision (Carson City). Viviana's full-sister Willstar bred Etoile Montante (Miswaki), winner in France of the G1 Prix de la Foret and a MGSW/GISP runner in this country under the care of the late Bobby Frankel. The latter's grand-daughter Oyster Box (Tapit) was a good fourth in Saturday's GIII Regret S.

Fulsome, who is bred on the exact same cross as 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good and fellow GSW Naughty Joker, has a 2-year-old half-brother named Rimprotector (Point of Entry), a yearling half-sister by Frosted and a foal half-sister by Twirling Candy.

Saturday, Churchill Downs
MATT WINN S.-GIII, $150,000, Churchill Downs, 5-29, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.88, ft.
1–FULSOME, 120, c, 3, by Into Mischief
                1st Dam: Flourish, by Distorted Humor
                2nd Dam: Viviana, by Nureyev
                3rd Dam: Nijinsky Star, by Nijinsky II
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms
Inc (KY); T-Brad H Cox; J-Florent Geroux. $91,140. Lifetime
Record: 7-4-1-0, $373,854. *1/2 to Mr Darcy (Harlan's
Holiday), GSP, $263,876. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–O Besos, 118, c, 3, Orb–Snuggs and Kisses, by Soto.
O-Bernard Racing LLC, Tagg Team Racing, West Point
Thoroughbreds & Terry L Stephens; B-L Barrett Bernard (KY);
T-Gregory D. Foley. $29,400.
3–Helium, 123, c, 3, Ironicus–Thundering Emilia, by Thunder
Gulch. ($55,000 Ylg '19 FTKOCT). O-D J Stable LLC; B-Teneri
Farm Inc & Bernardo Alvarez Calderon (KY); T-Mark E Casse.
$14,700.
Margins: 3 3/4, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 1.70, 1.90, 2.70.
Also Ran: Southern Passage, Ready to Pounce, Game Day Play, Sittin On Go. Scratched: Hello Hot Rod.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG

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Rombauer Retains Tops Spot In NTRA 3-Year-Old Poll

John and Diane Fradkin's Grade 1 Preakness Stakes winner Rombauer has retained the No. 1 ranking in the latest National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Three-Year-Old Poll over last year's 2-year-old champion and Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Essential Quality. There were no changes in the order of the top 10 horses from last week.

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rombauer, a bay son of Twirling Candy, received 12 first-place votes and 300 points. He is expected to start in the final jewel of the Triple Crown, the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes, on June 5. Godolphin's Essential Quality, the 5-2 Kentucky Derby favorite, also has 12 first-place votes, but is eight points shy of first place with 292 points. Mandaloun, also trained by Cox, is in third place with four first-place votes and 262 points. Owned by Godolphin, Mandaloun finished second in the Kentucky Derby. Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie, third in the Kentucky Derby, is in fourth place. Trained by Doug O'Neill, Hot Rod Charlie has 221 points. Zedan Racing's Medina Spirit, third in the Preakness after winning the Kentucky Derby, is in fourth place. Trained by Bob Baffert, Medina Spirit has seven first-place votes and 210 points.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, second in the Preakness, is in sixth place. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Midnight Bourbon has 186 points. Shadwell Stable's undefeated bay filly, Malathaat, winner of the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks, is in seventh place. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Malathaat has 171 points. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior remains in eighth place. Winner of the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU, Jackie's Warrior, trained by Asmussen, has 72 points. WinStar Farm and CHC's Life Is Good, off the Triple Crown trail due to injury, is in ninth place. Life Is Good has one first-place vote and 57 points. Hronis Racing and Talla Racing's Rock Your World, winner of the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby, rounds out the top 10 with 52 points.

Godolphin's 4-year-old Mystic Guide remains on top of the NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll for older horses. Winner of the Group 1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan on March 27, Mystic Guide returned to the work tab on May 19 with a 4-furlong breeze at Fair Hill in Maryland in preparation for a summer campaign. Trained by Mike Stidham, Mystic Guide received 31 first-place votes and 334 points. The 4-year-old Charlatan, runner-up in the Group 1 Saudi Cup, is in second place with one first-place vote and 219 points. Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go, winner of the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup, is now in third place. Trained by Cox, Knicks Go has two first-place votes and 218 points. Robert and Lawana Low's 4-year-old Colonel Liam (217 points), who finished in a dead heat for first with Domestic Spending in the Grade 1 Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes at Churchill Downs, drops one spot to fourth place.

Places five through 10 in the poll remain the same as last week. My Racehorse, Spendthrift Farm LLC and Madaket Stables' Monomoy Girl, the reigning older dirt female Eclipse Award-winner, is in fifth place with 189 points. St. George Stable's 5-year-old mare Letruska (148 points), winner of Oaklawn's Grade 1 Grade Apple Blossom, is in sixth place. The 4-year-old Gamine (142 points), last year's champion female sprinter, has one first-place vote and 142 points, and is in seventh place. Godolphin's 4-year-old Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, is in eighth place with one first-place vote and 141 points. The Cox-trained 4-year-old filly Shedaresthedevil (96 points), winner of Churchill's Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes, is in ninth place. Completing the top 10 is Klaravich Stable's 4-year-old Domestic Spending (55 points), for trainer Chad Brown.

The NTRA Top Thoroughbred polls are the sport's most comprehensive surveys of experts. Every week eligible journalists and broadcasters cast votes for their top 10 horses, with points awarded on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. All horses that have raced in the U.S., are in training in the U.S., or are known to be pointing to a major event in the U.S. are eligible for the NTRA Top Thoroughbred Poll. Voting in the Top Three-Year-Old Thoroughbred Poll concludes following the Belmont Stakes on June 5 and the Top Thoroughbred Poll is scheduled to be conducted through Nov. 6.

The full results for the NTRA Thoroughbred Polls can be found on the NTRA website at: https://www.ntra.com/ntra-top-thoroughbred-poll-may-24-2021/

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Courses Charted For Classic Runners-Up Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon

Neither Mandaloun, second behind Medina Spirit in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, nor G1 Preakness runner-up Midnight Bourbon are bound for Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on June 5 for the Belmont Stakes or undercard races.

Daily Racing Form reports that Juddmonte Farms' Mandaloun will be pointed by trainer Brad Cox toward the June 13 TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, a prep for the G1, $1-million Haskell Invitational at the Oceanport, N.J., track on July 17. Winner of the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, the Into Mischief colt could wind up as the official Kentucky Derby winner if a split sample confirms the presence of a corticosteroid and stewards disqualify Medina Spirit from the victory.

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon, a son of Tiznow, finished sixth after a rough start in the Kentucky Derby and then second in the Preakness. Winchell Thoroughbreds racing and bloodstock advisor David Fiske said Midnight Bourbon could also wind up in the Haskell or in the G2, $600,000 Jim Dandy on July 30 at Saratoga.

Midnight Bourbon defeated Mandaloun winning the G3 Lecomte, then finished third behind that colt in the Risen Star.

“He came out of the Preakness great, but he may have put the groundskeepers out of a job he was eating so much grass,” Fiske told the New York Racing Association media office. “He shipped back to Churchill and has been jogging great. There aren't any big target races after the Belmont prior to the Jim Dandy or Haskell, so we'll focus on those races for now.”

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