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Essential Quality Holds Off Keepmeinmind For Jim Dandy Win

In a hard-fought battle to the wire, Essential Quality, the 2-5 favorite, prevailed by a half-length over a tenacious Keepmeinmind to win Saturday's nine-furlong, $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy for 3-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The Godolphin homebred's victory in the 58th running of the Jim Dandy stamped him as the favorite for Saratoga's signature race, the $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers on August 28. In June, the handsome gray son of Tapit was the decisive winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

Essential Quality, who has been piloted by Luis Saez in seven of his eight career starts, defeated four rivals after the scratch of Risk Taking.

Dr Jack broke sharp from his rail post and was followed by Masqueparade, Weyburn, and Keepmeinmind. Saez had Essential Quality in the clear on the outside in fifth, not far off the leaders. Following sharp fractions of :23.81, :47.41, and 1:11.13 on the fast main track, the pacesetter was retreating while Masqueparade and Weyburn were taking up prominent positions as the field turned for home.

But Essential Quality, with a sweeping outside move, bore down on those rivals, while Keepmeinmind, whose sire Laoban won the 2016 Jim Dandy, was snaking his way up on the rail. It then became a race down to the finish line between those two, with Essential Quality pulling clear in the shadow of the wire, stopping the clock in 1:49.92.

It was a nail-biter for Essential Quality's trainer, Brad Cox.

“When they straightened up, I thought, 'Wow we've been wide both turns,' and then we see a horse slip up the inside [No. 4, Keepmeinmind] who looked like he had some run left,” Cox said. “It made for some anxious moments down the lane. Overall, he's a very determined horse. He has the heart of a champion. He's a good horse, he stays on.

“There was a lot of ground lost today,” Cox added. “Luis obviously had to work to win. He got something out of it, I do think that. I think he's carrying a little more weight now than he was leading up to the Derby or Belmont. I think this was a good tightener for him, four weeks out [from the Travers].”

The win marked a second straight and third overall Jim Dandy win for Godolphin, whose royal blue colors scored last year with Mystic Guide as well as with Alpha in 2012. The last time a Jim Dandy winner connected with a victory in the Travers was 2012 when Alpha finished in a dead-heat for the win with Golden Ticket.

Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin operations in the United States, said, “The really good horses just show up and find a way to get things done and he has seemed to do that every start. Consistency has been his hallmark and it was a battle down the stretch. It was probably good for him, which is easier to say after the race than when they're at the sixteenth pole.”

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For his part, Saez said, he felt confident he was sitting aboard the winner.

“I saw him [No. 4, Keepmeinmind], but I had a lot of horse and I knew he was going to finish,” the meet's leading rider said. “The plan today was not to take too much away from him. He always fights and he always wants to win.”

Essential Quality returned $2.80 for a $2 win wager. Find this race's chart here.

Masqueparade finished third, 2 1/4 lengths behind Keepmeinmind, and was followed under the wire by Weyburn and Dr Jack.

The win elevated Essential Quality's earnings to $3,545,144 and brought last year's 2-year-old champion's record to 7-0-0 from eight starts. His lone career loss came in the Kentucky Derby when he crossed the wire in fourth place.

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Diabolic Takes My Dear In Stakes Debut At Woodbine

Diabolic was full of run late in taking the $125,000 My Dear Stakes Saturday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

The trio of Bid Once, Royal Engagement, and first-time starter Curlin Candy duked it out in the early stages of the 5 ½-furlong Tapeta race for 2-year-old fillies, but it was Diabolic, making her stakes debut, who delivered the knockout punch for trainer Mark Casse.

Despite acting up before the start, the daughter of Dark Angel, with Antonio Gallardo in the irons, hit her stride as soon as the gates opened and then watched the front-end proceedings from along the rail.

It was Bid Once who held a narrow advantage through an opening quarter-mile of :22.64, with Royal Engagement and Curlin Candy right alongside. Gallardo maintained a patient hand, sitting mid-pack, through a half-mile timed in :45.79, waiting for the right moment to make his move.

As the field turned from home, Diabolic was pivoted to the outside and instantly began to track down the leaders with each stride.

At the wire, the gray filly won by 2 ¼ lengths, with Curlin Candy in second and Royal Engagement third. Lois Len, the 9-5 choice, was fourth.

The final time was 1:04.15.

Diabolic, owned by D.J. Stable and Nexus Racing Club, arrived at the My Dear off a gutsy neck nod in her career bow at Gulfstream on May 20, rallying to win a five-furlong turf sprint.

“She was sitting down in the gate and I was a little nervous on how she'd be breaking,” said Gallardo, who celebrated his first Woodbine stakes win. “I don't see myself being on the lead or too close. I watched the replay when she won with Jaramillo [jockey, Emisael] in Gulfstream and I can see she is very smart. I wanted to be saving ground and following the speed. Really, she did everything perfect. When I pulled her in the clear, I asked and she gave me 100 percent. She's a nice filly.”

Bred by Yeomanstown Stud in Ireland, Diabolic paid $9.20 for the win.

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My Sassenach Draws Clear For Decisive Win In Desert Vixen At Gulfstream

Champion Equine LLC's My Sassenach swept to the lead at the top of the stretch and drew clear for a dominating 8 ¼-length victory in the $100,000 Desert Vixen while taking her veteran South Florida trainer back to the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes winner's circle following a long absence.

The Desert Vixen, a six-furlong sprint for fillies, co-headlined Saturday's 13-race program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., with the $100,000 Dr. Fager, a six-furlong open-division dash, kicking off the 2021 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes, a tradition-rich series for juveniles sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

My Sassenach ($21), who finished second in her July 1 debut, graduated in the Desert Vixen, giving trainer David Braddy his fifth career success in the Florida Sire Stakes series for juveniles sired by accredited stallions standing in Florida.

“It's good for me. I've won these races four or five times, but not recently,” said Braddy, who enjoyed FSS success with Stacy's Toy in the 1989 Desert Vixen and Susan's Girl, Mystic Obsession in the 1991 Desert Vixen, and Sly Rajab in the 1998 Affirmed. “It's good to be back with a nice filly.”

My Sassenach broke cleanly under Miguel Vasquez to gain a prime outside stalking position behind pacesetter Rufa Red Knot, who set fractions of :22.12 for the first quarter and :45.74 for the first half-mile. My Sassenach made a three-wide sweep to pull alongside the pacesetter leaving the turn into the homestretch and continued on to score comfortably and impressively.

“I thought she was a real good filly the first time we ran her. We worked her nine days in front of the race, scoped her, and she was clean. We ran her in that race and she scoped with a lung infection,” Braddy said. “I think that cost us the first race, but we've been high on her all along.”

Demurely closed from off the pace to finish second, three-quarters of a length behind a tiring Rufa Red Knot. Noble Dreamer, the 7-5 favorite in a field of eight fillies, finished an even fourth.

My Sassenach, who was purchased for $152,000 at the OBS April sale for 2-year-olds in training, ran six furlongs in 1:12.17.

“We liked the way she breezed at the sale and we liked the way she galloped out,” said Champion Equine LLC's Michael Sucher. “We have a lot of high hopes for her.”

Florida Sire Stakes action will continue Aug. 28 with the $200,000 Susan's Girl for fillies and the $200,000 Affirmed, both slated for seven furlongs, and Sept. 25 with the $400,000 My Dear Girl for fillies and the $400,000 In Reality, both to be run around two turns at 1 1/16 miles.

“I think the seven-eighths might be all right. I'm not so sure about the long [race],” Braddy said. “We'll just have to see.”

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Mucho Much The Best In Challedon At Pimlico

A nose kept from him becoming a first-time stakes winner in his previous start, but there would be no denying WSS Racing and 4G Racing's Mucho the honor against a salty field in Saturday's $100,000 Challedon at historic Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

The 35th running of the six-furlong Challedon for 3-year-olds and up was the last of three $100,000 stakes on the final program of July, preceded by Hello Beautiful's victory in the Alma North and Harpers First Ride's triumph in the Deputed Testamony. All three races are part of the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship (MATCH) Series.

Mucho ($7.20) took the lead at the top of the stretch and turned back late challenges from multiple stakes winners Laki, Lebda, and Whereshetoldmetogo for a one-length victory in 1:10.09 over a fast main track under jockey Reylu Gutierrez.

“I told Rey, this horse is only getting sharper. Don't take anything away from the break,” Midwest-based winning trainer John Ortiz said. “Honestly, this is Rey's victory. He did everything right on the horse. He made all the right strategical moves. When he broke sharp, he kind of asked a little bit and made the horse on the inside chase and push and go through, and all we needed was a target. We needed a little speed, and he got it.”

Jockey J.D. Acosta was forced to hustle Lebda from his rail post to get by the alert-breaking Mucho, and was in front after a quarter-mile in :22.96. Grade 3 winner Laki and 3-2 favorite Whereshetoldmetogo, who have combined to win 13 stakes, raced side-by-side in behind with 37-1 long shot Whiskey and You trailing the field.

Laki maintained the lead following a half in :45.83 with Mucho turning up the pressure and Laki and Whereshetoldmetogo poised to strike while in the clear on the outside. Mucho forged a short lead once straightened for home, dug in past the eighth pole, and had plenty left to keep his challengers at bay.

Lebda held second by a neck over Whereshetoldmetogo, with Laki another half-length back in fourth.

Second as a 2-year-old in the 2018 Grade 1 Hopeful for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Mucho came up just short of multiple stakes winner Bango in the seven-furlong Kelly's Landing June 25 at Churchill Downs. In his prior start, he finished ahead of both Laki and Lebda when fourth in the Grade 3 Maryland Sprint May 15 at Pimlico on the undercard of the 146th Grade 1 Preakness Stakes.

“The horse broke delightful today. Johnny's so good at getting horses out of the gate, with his morning training and routine,” Gutierrez said. “Watching his last going seven-eighths, I said, 'If he breaks sharp like that again today cutting back to three-quarters, I'm going to keep him there and keep him engaged.' I was able to make Lebda use a lot of horse to get the lead and I just had the trip. From the half to the three-eighths [pole], I got a really great breather to finish.

“This group of horses will probably be facing each other multiple times this year. Every trainer in this field, they do an amazing job with their stables and they're highly competitive so I'm very proud of our horse,” he added. “He beat them in the Maryland Sprint a couple starts ago so I really was expecting the same type of performance with him putting himself forwardly placed. I loved every second of it.”

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Mucho is a 5-year-old son of Blame, the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and champion older horse of 2010. Ortiz hinted Mucho could find himself at the year-end championships should his star continue to rise.

“This horse has only been improving. He's gained more weight and is getting sharper and stronger. That's all we needed,” he said. “There might be a couple more starts before we end up in Del Mar, you never know. You gotta dream big, right?”

Not run during Maryland's pandemic-shortened 2020 stakes season, the Challedon honors the Maryland-bred son of Challenger II that won 20 of 44 starts and $334,660 in purses from 1938 to 1942, was recognized as Horse of the Year in 1939 and 1940, and inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in 1977. Winner of the 1939 Preakness and 1939 and 1940 Pimlico Special, Challedon also sired 13 stakes winners before his death in 1958.

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