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Tapit Colt Takes it to the Bank in With Anticipation

Coinage (c, 2, Tapit–Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro) switched to grass in style with a wire-to-wire upset victory at 6-1 in Wednesday's GIII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga. The chestnut, drawn widest of all in post six, was sent to the front by Junior Alvarado. The New York-bred showed the way through fractions of :25.66 and :50.65, and had plenty left for the stretch to win going away by two lengths. Saratoga debut winner Portfolio Company (Kitten's Joy), a handful for Irad Ortiz, Jr. throughout the 1 1/16-miles journey, ran well to finish second after making a bold bid at the top of the stretch. Favored Limited Liability (Kitten's Joy) was third.

Coinage, a runaway second out maiden winner against state-breds going 5 1/2 furlongs downstate June 17, entered off a disappointing third-place finish as the favorite in the six-furlong Rick Violette S. at the Spa July 21.

“I told my wife Tina this morning, 'We'll see if they can catch him,'” winning trainer Mark Casse said. “I seldom say this, but I told Junior [Alvarado] to take no prisoners and go. He's a good horse. He has a high-cruising speed. We breezed him over the turf a couple of times as we like to do. Training horses is like putting a puzzle together. You have to keep trying the pieces until figuring out where they fit. We figured it out today.

He continued, “I thought he was an underachiever. I told Mr. [Chester] Broman and the Greens that this horse was something, and I said that four or five months ago. We got up here and he won, but never showed the same as what I thought I had seen before. I'll probably keep him around two turns. There's a lot of options. I have four or five pretty good horses for the Greens that are possible other turf horses. We'll see. I may send him to California, but we'll see what the owners want to do, too.”

Pedigree Notes:

Coinage becomes the 149th stakes winner/92nd graded winner for leading sire Tapit. This is the 41st stakes winner/15th graded winner for broodmare sire Medaglia d'Oro. Millionaire Broman homebred Bar of Gold famously upset the 2017 GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at 66-1. She is also responsible for a Justify colt of 2020, who brought $825,000 from David Hudson (Travis Durr, agent) at this summer's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale, and a Tapit colt of 2021. She was bred back to Quality Road.

Wednesday, Saratoga
WITH ANTICIPATION S.-GIII, $150,000, Saratoga, 9-1, 2yo,
1 1/16mT, 1:43.69, fm.
1–COINAGE, 120, c, 2, by Tapit
                1st Dam: Bar of Gold (GISW, $1,551,000), by Medaglia d'Oro
                2nd Dam: Khancord Kid, by Lemon Drop Kid
                3rd Dam: Confidently, by Storm Cat
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($450,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC and Chester & Mary
Broman; B-Chester & Mary Broman (NY); T-Mark E. Casse;
J-Junior Alvarado. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-2,
$144,750. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Portfolio Company, 122, c, 2, Kitten's Joy–Iteration, by Wild
Again. ($125,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
3–Limited Liability, 122, c, 2, Kitten's Joy–Hold Harmless, by
Blame. O/B-Stuart S. Janney, III LLC (KY); T-Claude McGaughey.
$18,000.
Margins: 2, 3HF, 4. Odds: 6.90, 2.10, 0.85.
Also Ran: Gooch Go Bragh, Kavod, Silipo. Scratched: Ready to March. 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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Maximus Aurelius Tops Keeneland August Digital Sale

Maximus Aurelius, a 3-year-old colt by Tapit out of champion Close Hatches, sold for $40,000 to Pewter Stable to top Tuesday's Keeneland August Digital Sale, held as part of Keeneland's Digital Sales Ring platform. Consigned by Juddmonte as a racing or stallion prospect, Maximus Aurelius is a full-brother to multiple graded stakes winner Tacitus.

Captain Ginny B, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, brought the sale's second-highest price of $12,000 from JBS Stable. Consigned by Winchester Equine, agent for Michael Scardina, Captain Ginny B is out of the stakes-winning Big Brown mare Red Sashay and from the family of such graded stakes winners as Halory Hunter and Van Nistelrooy. She was offered as a racing or broodmare prospect.

The one-day mixed August Digital Sale grossed $96,000 for nine horses. Summary results are available by clicking here.

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Essential Quality Earns 107 Beyer Speed Figure In Travers Win, BC Classic Ultimate Goal

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality continued to display his excellence with a superb performance in Saturday's $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., picking up a fourth Grade 1 triumph.

Essential Quality, traveling in second position under meet-leading rider Luis Saez, was 3 ½ lengths off pacesetter Midnight Bourbon down the backstretch before inching his way closer to the front nearing the far turn. The pair engaged in a dramatic stretch battle, with the 2020 Champion 2-Year-Old coming out on the winning end by a neck and recording a 107 Beyer Speed Figure.

Winning dramatic stretch duels in prestigious races are nothing new for Essential Quality, who won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 5 after battling with Hot Rod Charlie in the stretch. He arrived at the Runhappy Travers off a half-length win in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 30 at the Spa, fending off an inside rally from Keepmeinmind, who was fourth in the Travers.

Essential Quality became the first Champion 2-Year-Old to notch a Travers win since Street Sense in 2007 and joined Tiz the Law [2020], Summer Bird [2009], Birdstone [2004], Point Given [2001], Lemon Drop Kid [1999], and Thunder Gulch [1995] as horses to sweep the Belmont Stakes-Travers double. Additionally, he became the first horse since Arts and Letters in 1969 to win the Belmont, Jim Dandy, and Travers.

Trainer Brad Cox said the $6 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic is the ultimate goal but has not yet decided whether Essential Quality will race once beforehand.

“He looked great this morning. He's in good shape,” Cox said. “[Godolphin USA President] Jimmy Bell and I spoke about that this morning, there's no pressure to make a decision right now. We'll just let the dust settle and enjoy this victory for a little bit. I think that's the right thing to do. We'll make a decision in a week or two weeks. The most important thing is watching him and how he trains.”

Through eight victories in nine lifetime starts, Essential Quality has displayed various tactics, having won from just off the pace in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity and the Grade 2 Blue Grass at Keeneland, as well as from far back in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where he made up nine lengths to secure a victory.

“He's a versatile horse,” Cox said. “He seems to show up regardless of the pace. He's shown that he knows how to negotiate a trip and accept what's thrown his way. He knows how to overcome things.”

Cox spoke volumes of this year's 3-year-old crop and said it's a testament to Essential Quality's accomplishments.

“It's very, very good, and that's not just because we have two very good ones in Essential Quality and [Grade 1 Haskell Invitational winner] Mandaloun,” Cox said. “Horses like Hot Rod Charlie, Midnight Bourbon, Jackie's Warrior, and Keepmeinmind were all good horses that played a role as 2-year-olds last year and have been able to continue on at 3. Jackie's Warrior and Essential Quality were both dual Grade 1 winners at two and three. It means a lot. Hopefully, we can keep marching forward and on to the Breeders' Cup.”

Cox has been more involved in the Spa meet this season than he has in years past, which has paid dividends to the Louisville-born conditioner. Three weeks ago, Cox saddled Knicks Go to a victory in the Grade 1 Whitney.

“I've kind of been in and out of Saratoga in years past, but this year I've been here a good bit and it's really grown on me,” Cox said. “Moving forward, I'd like to spend all of my summers here. Being here and doing well in big races, that makes you enjoy it. It's a special place. Between the Travers and the Whitney, these are great accomplishments. It's a lot of teamwork and we have a great team.

“I can see myself spending more time here in years to come,” Cox added. “It's a great place, the whole town is all about racing. It's a special place for sure.”

Essential Quality is out of the multiple-stakes placed Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality. He is a direct descendant of the influential broodmare La Troienne.

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Cox potentially holds a strong hand for the Breeders' Cup Classic with Essential Quality and Knicks Go, who breezed for the first time since his Whitney triumph on Friday morning. The four-time Grade 1-winning son of Paynter went an easy half-mile in :49.15 over the Oklahoma training track.

Knicks Go will target the $400,000 Grade 3 Lukas Classic on October 2 at Churchill Downs as his final prep for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

“It was an incredible move and I was proud of him,” Cox said. “I didn't ask him to do much, but he did it the right way. We'll keep him here until the first of September and go from there.”

Cox saddled Ten Strike Racing's Whittington Park, a New York homebred, to a maiden special weight victory on Saturday at second asking. Third in his debut on August 1 at Saratoga, the son of Midnight Lute led the 6 ½-furlong race at every point of call, winning by 7 ½ lengths under Manny Franco. He registered a 69 Beyer for the win.

“We've always liked him. I had the opportunity to see him in Florida in March and he had a good physical,” Cox said. “We didn't feel that we had him quite ready to win first time, but he really got something out of it. We added the blinkers and had a couple of good moves since.”

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Essential Quality Fights Past Midnight Bourbon in Runhappy Travers

Champion Essential Quality (Tapit) came into Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. as the heavy favorite with three other Grade I victories to his credit, in addition to his Eclipse Award. Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), on the other hand, entered with a point to prove as he never had a chance to show his stuff last time in Monmouth's GI Haskell Invitational S. July 17, after clipping heels and almost going down in the stretch. Essential Quality got the better of his rival at Saratoga Saturday, but not before Midnight Bourbon gave him a run for his money in a nail-biting stretch drive.

Hammered down to 2-5 favoritism, Essential Quality bobbled a step exiting the two-hole while Midnight Bourbon got away cleanly from the inside stall. The 5-1 shot dictated terms through a :24.18 first quarter with the chalk leading the rest of the field a few lengths back in second. Midnight Bourbon still had things his own way on the front end through a half in :48.96, but Essential Quality and the others closed the gap as three-quarters went in 1:14.49. Curlin S. runner-up Miles D (Curlin) ranged up alongside Essential Quality approaching the far turn, but the Eclipse winner quickly dismissed him and moved up to challenge the pacesetter. Essential Quality and Midnight Bourbon exited the bend in unison and battled stride-for-stride down the lane, pulling well clear of the rest of their rivals. Midnight Bourbon battled on gamely at the fence, forcing Essential Quality to summon all of his class to forge clear in the final strides for a neck success. It was five lengths back to Miles D in third.

“We were hoping that he wouldn't lose as much ground and have more of a ground-saving trip as opposed to the Jim Dandy,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “Luis [Saez] did a good job of recognizing that there wouldn't be a whole lot of pace. He asked him to run out of there and established good position and didn't let Midnight Bourbon get too far away up the backside. I was a little worried up the backside once he cleared up with softer fractions. He's a tremendous horse. He's a champion and he ran like one today.”

The conditioner added, “He's danced a lot of dances and shown up. His lone defeat was the Kentucky Derby, where we felt he was right there in the mix. He's done nothing wrong. We're proud of what he's accomplished this year and he's a very good horse with a fantastic resume.”

“This is a great accomplishment for the whole Godolphin team to be a part of this magical ride,” said Godolphin's Jimmy Bell. “When you go to the Belmont at the mile and a half, to a mile and an eighth [in the Jim Dandy] to a mile and a quarter, hats off to the way they brought him into this race in good form. Luis Saez might be the hottest jockey in the country. We're just very fortunate and blessed to be a part of this team.”

“Right from [the gate] I was on him [Midnight Bourbon] because I knew he was the speed horse, and that horse, when he takes the lead, he keeps going,” said Saez, who piloted champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song) to victory in the 2013 Travers. “So, I got on him right from there and put him right there in the beginning. He seemed so perfect. That was the plan, but I always feel like I have so much horse that I can make my move and get going. He gets past the horse and he can stay there, he don't waste energy. It's amazing, that's my second Travers and I'm so thankful to be here and be a part of it in this amazing race.”

As for Midnight Bourbon, jockey Ricardo Santana said, “I got a perfect trip. I couldn't ask for a better trip. The winner is way too good. I was walking on the lead and he was going pretty well, too. We slowed it down a little more and went [six furlongs] in 1:14 and I was very happy with him, but the winner was way too good.”

Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after his debut win at Churchill last September, Essential Quality followed suit with a win in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland a month later and capped an Eclipse-winning season with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at that oval in November. Opening his sophomore account with a dominant score in a sloppy edition of Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. Feb. 27, the homebred captured the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. back in Lexington Apr. 3. Suffering his first defeat when fourth as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Derby May 1, he skipped the GI Preakness S. in favor of the June 5 GI Belmont S. and took that contest by 1 1/4 lengths. Essential Quality prepped for the Midsummer Derby with a half-length defeat of Keepmeinmind (Laoban) in the local GII Jim Dandy S. July 31.

Pedigree Notes:
Essential Quality is one of 27 Grade I scorers for record-setting sire Tapit and one of 91 graded stakes winners by the Gainesway stalwart. The champion colt is one of 10 Grade I winners and 61 graded victors out of a daughter of the late Darley stallion Elusive Quality. Godolphin went to $3-million to acquire Essential Quality's second dam, the unraced Contrive (Storm Cat), just after her daughter Folklore (Tiznow) completed her championship juvenile season with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Belmont at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She was in foal to Pleasantly Perfect at the time of that purchase. Delightful Quality went on to be Grade III-placed for Sheikh Mohammed's operation and Essential Quality is her only winner from two foals to race. Her second foal, the now-5-year-old mare Indelible (Tiznow), summoned $1.6 million from Nobutaka Tada at last term's Fasig-Tipton November sale. Delightful Quality's most recent produce is an unraced juvenile filly named Famed (Uncle Mo). She was barren when bred to Uncle Mo for 2020 and barren yet again when bred to his son Nyquist for 2021. The 12-year-old mare visited Tapit this spring. Essential Quality hails from the family of two-time Japanese champion Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Travers Day Handle & Attendance…

The 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card generated all-sources handle totaling $51,381,515. A paid crowd of 44,507 witnessed Essential Quality's (Tapit) victory in the feature event. On-track handle was $9,406,526. NYRA was honored to welcome New York Governor Kathy Hochul to Saratoga Saturday, where she presented the Man o' War Cup to the connections of Essential Quality.

Saturday, Saratoga
RUNHAPPY TRAVERS S.-GI, $1,225,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 3yo, 1 1/4m, 2:01.96, ft.
1–ESSENTIAL QUALITY, 126, c, 3, by Tapit
1st Dam: Delightful Quality (GSP, $253,900), by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Jeano, by Fappiano
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-Brad H. Cox;
J-Luis Saez. $670,000. Lifetime Record: 9-8-0-0, $4,215,144.
Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross
pedigree.
2–Midnight Bourbon, 126, c, 3, Tiznow–Catch the Moon, by
Malibu Moon. ($525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Winchell
Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings
LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $230,000.
3–Miles D, 126, c, 3, Curlin–Sound the Trumpets, by
Bernardini. ($470,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Peter M. Brant &
Robert V. LaPenta; B-River Bend Farm (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown. $125,000.
Margins: NK, 5, NK. Odds: 0.45, 5.80, 18.70.
Also Ran: Keepmeinmind, King Fury, Masqueparade, Dynamic One.
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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