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Essential Quality, Maxfield to Stand at Jonabell in 2022

Darley America will have two major new additions to its stallion roster for 2022 as GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and GI Belmont S. winner Essential Quality (Tapit–Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality) and fellow Grade I winner Maxfield (Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini) are set to retire to Jonabell after their final starts.

“To have both Essential Quality and Maxfield coming to Jonabell is as exciting as it gets. And to have accomplished what they did as homebreds in the colors of Godolphin makes it even that much more meaningful,” said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox. “They consistently performed at the highest level and if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”

Out of a Grade III-placed half-sister to champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore (Tiznow), Essential Quality has won eight of nine career starts–four at Grade I level–and was named Eclipse Champion 2-Year-Old Male of 2020. In 2021, his victories include the Belmont in which he recorded a 109 Beyer, becoming the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont. He went on to win the GI Runhappy Travers S. at Saratoga, joining Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}) as the only champion 2-year-olds in the past 30 years to take the “Midsummer Derby.” The gray is one of the favorites for Horse of the Year and his fee will be set following the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Saturday, Nov. 6.

Maxfield has never been off the board in 10 career starts and was a dominant winner of Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity as a juvenile, like his future barnmate Essential Quality. Maxfield's six other career victories include the GII Stephen Foster S. and GII Alysheba S. at Churchill Downs. He also placed in the GI Whitney S. and GI Woodward S. this year. A son of Darley stallion Street Sense, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, a half-sister to Grade I winner and successful sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit). Like Essential Quality, Maxfield's fee will be set following his final race, the GI Clark H. at Churchill Downs Friday, Nov. 26.

“In addition to the excitement of two new stallions, we are hearing from breeders a great deal of optimism especially with the strong sales results this year,” added Fox. “It goes without saying that times were tough for the industry last year but ours is a resilient bunch and hope springs eternal for the coming year. All that said, we are still maintaining moderation when setting our fees with only one of our top-tier stallions returning from last year seeing an uptick in price at this time.”

Perennial leading sire Medaglia d'Oro will stand at a fee of $100,000 for the new year. He was the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median in 2020, and no stallion can match his 20 million-dollar yearlings since 2016. With over 80 worldwide Group or Graded winners–26 at the highest level–Medaglia d'Oro's top-tier performers in 2021 include Golden Sixty (Aus), Hong Kong Horse of the Year, who has won 17 of 18 career starts and over $10 million. Medaglia d'Oro is also the all-time leading sire of stakes winners at Saratoga and of Grade I winners at Del Mar.

Street Sense's fee will be set at $75,000 for 2022. In addition to his soon-to-be-retired son Maxfield, Street Sense's 2021 top performers also include GII San Vicente S. winner Concert Tour and GII Mother Goose S. heroine Zaajel. Since 2017, Only Into Mischief and Constitution can match his four graded stakes-winning juvenile dirt colts, a group that includes his four-time Grade I-winning son McKinzie.

Nyquist, 2020's leading first-crop sire, will stand for a fee of $55,000 in 2022. His juveniles of last year included Eclipse Champion and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist and GI Summer S. winner Gretzky the Great. He is the cumulative leading second-crop sire by earnings, Grade I winners, Grade I horses, and graded stakes horses. In the sales ring, he sits third behind only Quality Road and Uncle Mo by 2-year-old average. His $2.6-million colt sold at Fasig-Tipton in March is the highest amount paid for any juvenile this year and is equal to a yearling by Into Mischief as the highest price paid for any horse at public auction in 2021.

Hard Spun's fee will remain at $35,000 for 2022. He will be represented in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by Silver State, winner of this year's GI Metropolitan H. and GII Oaklawn H. Frosted, the record-breaking Met Mile winner, is priced at $20,000 for 2022. Ranked third behind Nyquist on the cumulative second-crop sire list, Frosted's top performers this year include Grade II winner Travel Column, who is one of five 3-year-olds to run a 90+ Beyer in 2021 for her sire, a total only Into Mischief and Curlin can top. Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 priced at $10,000 each. Midshipman has two Breeders' Cup prospects in Grade II winner Special Reserve, headed to the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, and undefeated 2-year-old filly Averly Jane, who is pointing towards the GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. He is represented by a career-high 11 stakes winners in America this year. Astern, who shuttles from Australia, has eight first-crop winners this year and his daughter Sail By will be making her next start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following a score in the GII Miss Grillo S. at Belmont.

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Essential Quality, Maxfield To Join Darley’s Stallion Roster For 2022 Breeding Season

Darley in America will have two sensational new additions to its stallion roster for 2022 as Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality and fellow Grade 1 winner Maxfield are set to retire to Jonabell after their final starts.

Darley Sales Manager, Darren Fox, said, “To have both Essential Quality and Maxfield coming to Jonabell is as exciting as it gets. And to have accomplished what they did as homebreds in the colors of Godolphin makes it even that much more meaningful.

“They consistently performed at the highest level and if you add in their outstanding pedigrees and conformation, we feel very confident that their legacy will continue to grow through their future offspring.”

Essential Quality is a son of Tapit out of a G3-placed half-sister to champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore. He has won eight of nine career starts – four at Grade1 level – and was named 2-year-old Eclipse Champion of 2020 following Grade 1 victories in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and Breeders' Futurity. While winning the Juvenile, he recorded the highest Beyer of any two-year-old beyond a mile last year.

In 2021, his victories include the Belmont Stakes in which he recorded a 109 Beyer, becoming the first Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont. He went on to win the G1 Travers at Saratoga, joining Street Sense as the only champion 2-year-olds in the past 30 years to take the “midsummer Derby.” A Grade 1 winner at 8 1/2 furlongs, 10 furlongs and 12 furlongs, Essential Quality also lists three other graded victories to his credit. He was also beaten only a length when fourth in this year's Kentucky Derby. His fee will be set following the Breeders' Cup Classic on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Maxfield has never been off the board in 10 career starts and was an outstanding winner of Keeneland's G1 Breeders' Futurity as a juvenile, like his future barn mate Essential Quality.

Maxfield's six other career victories include the G2 Stephen Foster and G2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs. Two additional 2021 G1 placings include runner-up finishes in Saratoga's G1 Whitney and the G1 Woodward at Belmont.

A son of Darley stallion Street Sense, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, a half-sister to G1 winner and successful sire Sky Mesa.

Like Essential Quality, Maxfield's fee will be set following his final race, the G1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Friday, Nov. 26.

Fox continued, “In addition to the excitement of two new stallions, we are hearing from breeders a great deal of optimism especially with the strong sales results this year. It goes without saying that times were tough for the industry last year but ours is a resilient bunch and hope springs eternal for the coming year. All that said, we are still maintaining moderation when setting our fees with only one of our top-tier stallions returning from last year seeing an uptick in price at this time.”

Perennial leading sire Medaglia d'Oro will stand at a fee of $100,000 for the new year. He was the number one yearling sire in North America by both average and median in 2020, and no stallion can match his 20 million-dollar yearlings since 2016.

With over 80 worldwide group or graded winners – 26 at the highest level – Medaglia d'Oro's top-tier performers in 2021 include Golden Sixty, Hong Kong Horse of the Year, who has won 17 of 18 career starts and over $10 million. Medaglia d'Oro is also the all-time leading sire of stakes winners at Saratoga and of Grade 1 winners at Del Mar.

Street Sense's fee will be set at $75,000 for 2022. In addition to his soon-to-be-retired son Maxfield, Street Sense's 2021 top performers also include G2 San Vicente winner Concert Tour and G2 Mother Goose Stakes heroine Zaajel. Since 2017, Only Into Mischief and Constitution can match his four graded stakes-winning juvenile dirt colts, a group that includes his four-time Grade 1 winning son McKinzie.

2021 has also been a strong year for Street Sense in the sales ring. His yearlings averaged over $200,000 and he is only one of 11 North American sires this year to be represented by a million-dollar yearling.

Nyquist, 2020's leading first-crop sire, will stand for a fee of $55,000 in 2022. His juveniles of last year included Eclipse champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist and G1 Summer Stakes winner Gretzky the Great. Not since Danzig in the 1980s has a stallion had two Grade 1 winners so early in his career.

In 2021, his 2-year-old daughter Sequist looks to give her sire his second consecutive Juvenile Fillies win as she is headed to this year's renewal following a third in the G1 Darley Alcibiades in her last start. He is the cumulative leading second-crop sire by earnings, Grade 1 winners, Grade 1 horses, and graded stakes horses.

In the sales ring, he sits third behind only Quality Road and Uncle Mo by 2-year-old average. His $2.6 million colt sold at Fasig-Tipton in March is the highest amount paid for any juvenile this year and is equal to a yearling by Into Mischief as the highest price paid for any horse at public auction in 2021.

Hard Spun's fee will remain at $35,000 for 2022. He will be represented in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile by his son Silver State, winner of this year's G1 Met Mile and G2 Oaklawn Handicap. His other top 2021 runners include G1 Arkansas Derby runner-up Caddo River and G3 winner Antoinette among 15 black type horses in 2021.

Frosted, the record-breaking Met Mile winner, is priced at $20,000 for 2022. Ranked third behind Nyquist on the cumulative second-crop sire list, Frosted's top performers this year include Travel Column, winner of the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks. She is one of five 3-year-olds to run a 90+ Beyer in 2021 for her sire; only Into Mischief and Curlin can top it.

Astern and Midshipman will go into 2022 priced at $10,000 each. Midshipman is having his best year ever and has two Breeders' Cup prospects in Grade 2 winner Special Reserve, headed to the Breeders' Cup Sprint, and undefeated 2-year-old filly Averly Jane who is pointing towards the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Midshipman is represented by 11 stakes winners in America this year – a career high and a list that also includes G2 Californian winner Royal Ship and G3 winner Naval Laughter.

Medaglia d'Oro's Group 1-winning son Astern, who shuttles from Australia, is off to a fast start with eight first-crop winners this year. His daughter Sail By will be making her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf following an impressive win in the “Win and You're In” G2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont.

See below for the complete roster:

Stallion	Fee
NEW Essential Quality	TBD
NEW Maxfield	TBD
Medaglia d'Oro	$100,000
Street Sense	$75,000
Nyquist	$55,000
Hard Spun	$35,000
Frosted	$20,000
Street Boss	$15,000
Astern	$10,000
Midshipman	$10,000
Enticed	$5,000

The post Essential Quality, Maxfield To Join Darley’s Stallion Roster For 2022 Breeding Season appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Maxfield the One to Beat in Woodward

With three graded wins on his resume so far this year, the highly regarded Maxfield (Street Sense) will take on five rivals in Saturday's GI Woodward S., which returns to Belmont Park for the first time since 2005.

The 2021 GIII Mineshaft S., GII Alysheba S. and GII Stephen Foster S. hero was second-best behind Knicks Go (Paynter) in the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga last time Aug. 7. The 7-5 morning-line favorite, winner of the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at two, adds blinkers here.

“For his stallion career and everything, it would be very important to get a Grade I win in him this year,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He should love the sweeping turns here. He seems to run his turns very well, which is probably the strongest part of his races. A big horse like him with a big stride on him, I can't see why it wouldn't be to his advantage more than anything.”

Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) ended a five-race losing streak returning from a January layoff to capture Monmouth's GIII Philip H. Iselin S. last time Aug. 21. Placed first via disqualification after coming up a nose short behind subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Classic hero Vino Rosso (Curlin) in the 2019 GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont, Code of Honor boasts a record of 6-3-2-1 over Big Sandy. He also has wins in the 2019 GIII Dwyer S. and 2020 GIII Westchester S. here.

The in-form Art Collector (Bernardini), winner of last year's GII Blue Grass S., made it two-for-two since joining Hall of Famer Bill Mott's barn, pairing up 103 Beyers with a sharp score in the GII Charles Town Classic S. Aug. 27. Mott will also saddle Forza Di Oro (Speightstown), third as the favorite after setting the pace in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Sept. 4.

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Woodward: Maxfield ‘Should Love The Sweeping Turns’ At Belmont Park

With three graded stakes wins this year, Godolphin's Maxfield has established himself as one of the leaders in the older horse division. On Saturday, the son of Street Sense will vie to add a Grade 1 victory to his 4-year-old campaign in the 68th running of the nine-furlong $500,000 Woodward, which returns to Belmont Park for the first time since 2005.

The Woodward is one of two Grade 1, $500,000 events on Saturday's card along with the Champagne for 2-year-olds running one mile in a prestigious race, affording a spot in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile to the winner. The lucrative card is bolstered by the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint Invitational for 3-year-olds and up going six furlongs on the grass along with the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo, a 1 1/16-mile turf test for juvenile fillies.

Previously held at Saratoga Race Course, the Woodward was inaugurated in 1954 at Belmont Park and also was run several times at Aqueduct before being moved to Saratoga.

Maxfield, who boasts a consistent 9-7-1-1 record with over $1.45 million in earnings, arrives off a runner-up effort to Knicks Go in the Grade 1 Whitney on August 7 at Saratoga. Trainer Brendan Walsh saddled the 4-year-old son of Street Sense to back-to-back scores in the Alysheba [105 Beyer] on April 30 and Stephen Foster [103 Beyer] on June 26, both Grade 2 events at Churchill Downs.

A winner on debut going a one-turn mile in September 2019 at Churchill Downs, Maxfield became a Grade 1 winner in his second career start when capturing the Breeders' Futurity going two turns at Keeneland, where he made up nearly ten lengths from ninth to win by 5 ½ lengths – his largest margin of victory to date.

Walsh said earning a Grade 1 triumph as an older horse is crucial for Maxfield.

“It's absolutely important, especially with a horse like him, who we always thought would get better as he gets older,” Walsh said. “For his stallion career and everything, it would be very important to get a Grade 1 win in him this year.”

Lightly raced for a horse of his level, Maxfield has done the bulk of his racing this year having raced a cumulative four times at ages two and three, all of which were wins. He kicked off a successful year with a 3 ¼-length win in the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February at Fair Grounds before suffering his first loss in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap three weeks later.

“I think it all has helped. Thinking back at this point last year, this horse had only run three times in his career and he was about to turn four,” Walsh said. “We've always been on the back foot as far as seasoning and racing experience goes. I think we saw an advance on him in the Whitney because he ran right through the wire, which I was pleased to see him do. It all bodes well for the races ahead.”

Walsh expressed no concern with cutting back to one-turn from the two-turn Whitney.

“I think it suits him if anything,” Walsh said. “He should love the sweeping turns here. He seems to run his turns very well, which is probably the strongest part of his races. A big horse like him with a big stride on him, I can't see why it wouldn't be to his advantage more than anything.”

Walsh, who previously worked for Godolphin as an assistant trainer in Dubai, spoke volumes of the world-class breeding and racing operation.

“They've been a big influence on my career,” Walsh said. “It's just a privilege to train for them and an even greater privilege to have a horse of this caliber for them in such a great year. Hopefully, we can keep it going for the next couple of months and make it even better.”

Maxfield will race with blinkers on for the Woodward, and will be piloted by regular rider Jose Ortiz from post 2.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle a pair of top contenders in Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector and Don Alberto Stable's Forza Di Oro.

Art Collector has matched up 103 Beyers in his last two starts at nine furlongs, capturing the Alydar on August 6 at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on August 27. A seven-time winner from 14 starts, Art Collector has banked more than $1.2 million. Art Collector is a 4-year-old son of Bernardini, who sired previous Woodward victors To Honor and Serve [2012] and Alpha [2013].

Art Collector burst onto the scene during his sophomore campaign with victories in the Grade 2 Blue Grass last July at Keeneland and the Ellis Park Derby one month later for his former trainer Tommy Drury, Jr.

Art Collector arrives off a half-mile breeze in 49.49 seconds on September 25 over the Oklahoma training track.

“He looked good and smooth in his last work,” said Mott, who previously won the Woodward with Hall of Famer Cigar [1995-96], To Honor and Serve [2012] and Yoshida [2018]. “He's made no mistakes so far. He looks great and the horse is doing very well. We're very pleased with him.”

Forza Di Oro, a 4-year-old Speightstown chestnut, sports a ledger of 7-4-1-1 led by a score in the Grade 3 Discovery in November at the Big A. Last out, Forza Di Oro finished a pacesetting third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 4 at Saratoga.

“It could have been the distance. We were concerned about that going in,” Mott said. “He's capable of a different running style. We'll leave that up to the jock.”

Luis Saez returns aboard Art Collector from post 3, while Junior Alvarado will ride Forza Di Oro from post 6.

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A victory from dual Grade 1-winner Code of Honor would give the Farish family their first Woodward win since Mineshaft in 2003. Last out, the 5-year-old homebred son of Noble Mission made his first start off a seven-month layoff a triumphant one in capturing the Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin on August 21 at Monmouth Park, garnering a 105 Beyer.

Code of Honor boasts field-best lifetime earnings in excess of $2.8 million through a 17-7-4-2 record, highlighted by 2019 triumphs in the Grade 1 Runhappy Travers and Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup during his 3-year-old season.

“He's training as good as he could – as good as I've ever seen him,” McGaughey said. “I think two turns is probably better, but the mile and an eighth is fine. I think the way he's training right now, he's sharp and he'll be laying in the right spot to wait and make a move.”

Paco Lopez, aboard for his last out Iselin score, will return to the irons from post 5.

St. Elias Stable's Dr Post will attempt his first Grade 1 victory for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The son of 2010 Woodward winner Quality Road arrives off a third in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic on August 21 at Del Mar, where he considerably advanced position in the last two points of call coming from seventh to complete the trifecta. Piloted by Joel Rosario, Dr Post appeared to be losing considerable ground around the far turn.

“In the middle part of the race, he sort of backed up on us and came with a good solid late run,” Pletcher said. “Joel seemed to think that maybe he was struggling with the track a little bit in the middle part of the race for some reason. He seemed to get a hold of it well late in the race, but just put himself in a tough spot with too much to do. It wasn't a bad race by any means.”

Dr Post displayed a successful seasonal commencement when capturing the Grade 3 Westchester at Belmont on May 1 before taking the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup on July 17 two starts later.

Dr Post will race with blinkers in the Woodward, as he did in his previous two starts.

“After the first time, I thought they moved him up quite a bit, but they didn't seem to have the same effect the second time, or at least the middle part of the race,” Pletcher said. “We'll leave them on to keep him focused.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr., who piloted Dr Post to his first stakes win in the Unbridled last April at Gulfstream Park and a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes last year, will be reunited with the four-time winner from the inside post.

Completing the field is Knight R.B. Stables' Mo Gotcha, a five-time winning 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo. Trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul claimed Mo Gotcha two starts back for $40,000 following a victory via disqualification on September 2 at the Spa and arrives off a third-place finish in his stakes debut in the Grand Prix American Jockey Club on September 18.

Returning pilot Jalon Samuel will ride from post 4.

The Woodward is slated as Race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.

The prestigious event for older horses honors William Woodward, who was chairman of the Jockey Club 1930-50. Woodward also owned Bel Air Stud who campaigned father-son Triple Crown-winning pair of Gallant Fox and Omaha. Since its inception, the Woodward has been won by all-time greats Sword Dancer [1959-60], Kelso [1961-63], Buckpasser [1966], Damascus [1967] and Forego, who won four consecutive runnings from 1974-77. More recent prominent winners of the Woodward include Skip Away [1998], Mineshaft [2003], Ghostzapper [2004], Saint Liam [2005], Curlin [2008], Rachel Alexandra [2009], Havre de Grace [2011] and Gun Runner [2017] whose Woodward victories would help cement Horse of the Year honors in their respective years.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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