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Saturday’s Insights: Charlatan Half-Brother Gets Going at Gulfstream

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency
5th-Gulfstream, $55K, Msw, 3yo, 1m, post time: 1:24 p.m. ET
Given his name, it might be more fitting if Peter Brant's BENNYFROMTHEBRONX (Tapit) were making his first trip to the races at the Jersey Shore, but instead, the half-brother to GISW 'TDN Rising Star' and recent Saudi Cup runner-up Charlatan (Speightstown) gets his career started at Gulfstream Park Saturday afternoon. The bay, a $300,000 Keeneland September acquisition, is the latest to the races from his dam, two-time graded winner and three-time Grade I-placed Authenticity (Quiet American), who is also responsible for SW Hanalei Moon. The colt's third dam is Gallagher's Stud's Appealing Missy (Lypheor {GB}), who produced SW & GSP Statement (Seattle Slew) and the stakes-placed dam of GSW & GISP New York-bred Rahys' Appeal (Rahy). The Chad Brown trainee will have to deal with second-time starter Collaborate (Into Mischief), who was profiled in Steve Sherack's Second Chances column earlier this week. TJCIS PPs

Well-Related Shadwell Firster Kicks Things Off…
1st-Gulfstream, $55K, Msw, 3yo, f, 7f, post time: 11:30 a.m. ET
Trainer Todd Pletcher takes the wraps off Shadwell homebred SIBAAQ (Bernardini) in the Saturday lid-lifter in Hallandale. The Apr. 20 foal is out of the unraced Sablah (Distorted Humor), whose son Takaful (Bernardini) became a 'TDN Rising Star' with an eight-length debut romp in late 2016 and later–reinvented as a one-turn horse–took out the 2018 GI Vosburgh S. Sablah is also the dam of Haikal (Daaher), a maiden winner at second asking whose marquee victory came in the GIII Gotham S. in 2019. European champion Shadayid (Shadeed) and 2001 G1 English 1000 Guineas heroine is Sibaaq's third dam. TJCIS PPs

Oaklawn Debutant the Product of Champions…
9th-Oaklawn, $86K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 5:25 p.m. ET
Storm Song (Summer Squall), the Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly of 1996, and Uncle Mo, champion of his generation in 2010, are the dam and sire, respectively, of Aaron Sones's homebred MY FAVORITE UNCLE. The May-foaled dark bay is a half-brother to GISP Trojan Nation (Street Cry {Ire}); MGSP Balladry (Unbridled's Song); and to the dam of the legendary European stayer and MG1SW Order of St George (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and GSWs Angel Terrace (Ghostzapper) and Asperity (War Chant). Lazaretto (Hard Spun) is a son of the fleet MSW Mother Ruth (Speightstown), a $420,000 purchase by Highland Yard out of the 2016 Keeneland January Sale. A half-brother to GSW Yuvetsi (Bodemeister), Lazaretto is bred on the same cross over Gone West-line dams responsible for this sire's GISWs Spun To Run and Out for a Spin and three other of Hard Spun's 41 worldwide graded/group winners. TJCIS PPs

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Champion Essential Quality Draws The Rail For 2021 Debut In Southwest Stakes

Oaklawn's four-race Kentucky Derby points series, specifically the Rebel and Arkansas Derby, is littered with starters who were Eclipse Award winners at 2. A third race has finally drawn a champion, too.

Godolphin LLC's Essential Quality, the country's champion 2-year-old male, will make his 2021 debut in Saturday's $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles. The Southwest anchors an 11-race program that begins at 12:15 p.m. (Central). Probable post time for the Southwest, which goes as race 10, is 4:58 p.m.

The Southwest will offer 17 points to the top four finishers (10-4-2-1, respectively) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Brad Cox won the first race in this year's series, the $150,000 Smarty Jones Jan. 22, with Caddo River, who, in his stakes debut, recorded the most lopsided victory in race history (10 ¼ lengths). Essential Quality is much more accomplished. The gray son of super sire Tapit is unbeaten in three career starts, including the $400,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) Oct. 3 at Keeneland and the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland to close his 2020 campaign.

Essential Quality has been based this winter at Fair Grounds, recording eight workouts in 2021, the last two (Feb. 14 and Feb. 20) coming after severe winter weather led Oaklawn to twice postpone the Southwest. It was originally scheduled to be run Feb. 15. Essential Quality, the 3-2 program favorite, arrived Wednesday night in Hot Springs for what Cox said he hopes is the first of two preps for the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

Cox, in large part, said he chose to start Essential Quality's 2021 campaign in the Southwest, rather than the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 13 Fair Grounds, because of distance.

“The mile and an eighth, off a layoff, I just didn't think it made the most sense for him,” said Cox, who still won the nine-furlong Risen Star with Mandaloun. “We're going to get through the first one before we decide where the second one will be. Off the layoff, the mile and a sixteenth just made more sense than a mile and an eighth.”

Essential Quality came from well off a hot pace in the Breeders' Juvenile to post a three-quarter length victory under Luis Saez. Among seven Southwest entrants is the speedy Jackie's Warrior, who suffered his first career loss in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile when he was beaten 3 ¼ lengths in his two-turn debut. Jackie's Warrior, on paper, is the speed of the speed in the Southwest.

“We're not going to sacrifice our horse to do anything out of the norm,” Cox said. “We're just going to let him run his race. Luis has obviously ridden him the last two times really well.”

The projected field from the rail out: Essential Quality, Luis Saez to ride, 119 pounds, 3-2 on the morning line; Saffa's Day, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 10-1; Last Samurai, Jon Court, 117, 12-1; Jackie's Warrior, Joel Rosario, 119, 8-5; Santa Cruiser, Richard Eramia, 117, 12-1; Woodhouse, David Cabrera, 117, 8-1; and Spielberg, Martin Garcia, 119, 9-2.

Jackie's Warrior was a multiple Grade 1 winner last year for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Like Essential Quality, Jackie's Warrior (4 for 5) has been based this winter at Fair Grounds and will be making his 3-year-old debut in the Southwest, a race Asmussen has won three times.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert will send out Spielberg in search of a record-tying fifth Southwest victory. Named for Steven Spielberg, a two-time Academy Award winner for best director, Spielberg will be making his first start since a disappointing fourth-place finish in his 3-year-old debut, the $100,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 30 at Santa Anita.

Spielberg had a productive 2-year-old campaign, finishing second and third, as a maiden, in the $250,000 Del Mar Futurity (G1) at Del Mar and $300,000 American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita, respectively, and winning the $200,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 19 at Los Alamitos. The son of Union Rags, a $1 million purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, wasn't originally nominated to the Southwest, but Baffert opted to hit the road after the race was postponed twice and Oaklawn reopened the nomination period.

“My horses are usually forwardly placed, but there's a lot of speed in there,” Baffert said. “He's not the kind of horse that would be on the lead. It looks like a pretty tough race.”

Oaklawn's Kentucky Derby points series continues with the $1 million Rebel (G2) March 13 and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 10.

The Southwest will be Essential Quality's first 2021 Kentucky Derby audition.

“Once the Breeders' Cup was over and we let the dust settle, thought that we would start him back mid-February,” Cox said. “It would be nice to get two races in him, and hopefully he shows us enough to march forward to the first Saturday in May.”

Essential Quality (30), Spielberg (13) and Jackie's Warrior (12) rank 2-8-9, respectively, on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard, according to Churchill Downs. Saffa's Day and Woodhouse are removing Lasix for the Southwest. Under new guidelines, points are only awarded to horses who compete without the anti-bleeder medication in Kentucky Derby points races.

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Southwest Showdown Well Worth the Wait

Following a two-week delay as Mother Nature packed a powerful winter punch, a pair of 3-year-old heavyweights are set for round two in Saturday's GIII Southwest S. at Oaklawn Park.

Recently crowned champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit) capped a perfect, three-for-three season closing smartly into a hot pace after covering plenty of ground to capture the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland last out Nov. 6. The Godolphin homebred previously stalked and pounced with authority in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 3. Regular rider Luis Saez will be aboard the 3-2 morning-line favorite, who has been assigned the rail in the field of seven.

“I don't think [the rescheduling] is a negative at all, as far as moving forward, with any of my horses,” said trainer Brad Cox, who will also saddle champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in Sunday's postponed GIII Bayakoa S. in Hot Springs.

Two-time Grade I winner Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music), favored at 4-5 while carrying a four-for-four record into the Juvenile, paid the price for racing prominently through ambitious fractions of :22.58 and :45.31 that day, and all things considered, ran well in defeat to stay on fourth in his route debut after leading at the stretch call. The bay's resume is highlighted by front-running tallies in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga Sept. 7 and GI Champagne S. at Belmont Oct. 10, respectively. He will be the one to catch in this second attempt around two turns.

Spielberg (Union Rags), the narrowest of winners two starts back in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19, invades from Bob Baffert's Santa Anita base following a no-show fourth in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Jan. 30. Los Al Futurity runner-up The Great One (Nyquist), meanwhile, returned with a flashy, 14-length maiden victory and 92 Beyer Speed Figure for Doug O'Neill in Arcadia Jan. 23.

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Champions Essential Quality, Monomoy Girl Arrive At Oaklawn Park

It was championship Thursday at Oaklawn as Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox sent his two Eclipse Award winners, Monomoy Girl and Essential Quality, to the track to train in preparation for weekend stakes engagements.

Cox said Monomoy Girl and unbeaten Essential Quality arrived at Oaklawn around 8 p.m. (Central) Wednesday following a van ride of approximately eight hours from Fair Grounds, where both horses have been based this winter.

Both horses galloped over a fast track Thursday morning under exercise rider Fernando Espinoza. Essential Quality will make his 3-year-old debut in Saturday's $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3). Monomoy Girl is ticketed for Sunday's $250,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares.

Essential Quality (3 for 3) will be making his first start since clinching an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old male in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 6 at Keeneland. The gray son of super sire Tapit is the 3-2 program favorite for the Southwest, Oaklawn's second of four Kentucky Derby points races. Essential Quality will break from the rail in the 1 1/16-mile race.

“Just see how it shakes out,” Cox said moments after watching Monomoy Girl gallop. “I'm sure there's going to be some speed in there. We'll see.”

The Southwest and Bayakoa were originally scheduled to be run Feb. 15 before being postponed twice because of severe winter weather. Cox said the delay didn't affect Essential Quality's preparation for the Southwest because he was able to breeze the colt 5 furlongs twice (Feb. 14 and Feb. 20) at Fair Grounds.

“Monomoy Girl, kind of the same thing, really, as far as preparation,” Cox said. “Just two extra works.”

Monomoy Girl will be making her first start since winning the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 7 at Keeneland. A winner of 13 of 15 career starts, Monomoy Girl was an Eclipse Award winner in 2018 (3-year-old filly) and 2020 (older dirt female). She drew the extreme outside, post 6, for the 1 1/16-mile Bayakoa, a major local prep for the $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 17.

“Monomoy Girl draws outside all the time, it seems,” Cox said. “Fourteen of fourteen in the (Kentucky) Oaks, 11 of 11 in the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs.”

Cox said the Apple Blossom is the major spring objective for Monomoy Girl, who has never raced at Oaklawn.

Essential Quality schooled in the paddock Thursday afternoon. Abrego said Monomoy Girl is scheduled to school in the paddock Friday.

Cox won his first Eclipse Award as the country's outstanding trainer in 2020. He was Oaklawn's third-leading trainer last year.

First post Saturday is 12:15 p.m. and the Southwest is scheduled as Race 10 at 4:58 p.m. First post Sunday is 1 p.m. and the Bayakoa is scheduled as Race 9 at 5:11 p.m.

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