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Big Day For Brad Cox: Essential Quality Shows Up With Professional Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Victory

Though he entered Friday's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile undefeated in two career starts, Godolphin homebred Essential Quality was sent to post at 7-2 odds in the wake of divisional heavyweight Jackie's Warrior (4-5 favorite). The tote board didn't tell the tale in this year's $2 million championship race, however, and the royal blue colors of the Godolphin operation hit the wire on top.

Trainer Brad Cox was jumping up and down after the 2-year-old son of Tapit hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front of 94-1 longshot Hot Rod Charlie. He'd just saddled the winner of the previous race, Aunt Pearl in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, but had been less confident in the talented but inexperienced gray colt in the day's final event.

Luis Saez crafted a late-running triumph from eighth in the early going that showed a new dimension for Essential Quality; last out, the colt won the G1 Breeders' Futurity with a forwardly-placed trip. Making up ground with giant strides in the short stretch for 1 1/16 miles over the dirt at Keeneland, Essential Quality stopped the clock in 1:42.09.

Cox won his first Grade 1 race in April of 2018 with Monomoy Girl; two and a half years later, the trainer now has five Breeders' Cup wins to his name.

It was the first career Breeders' Cup win for Saez, whose agent is former Godolphin trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

Though Jackie's Warrior broke near the top of the field, Dreamer's Disease rushed up from the outside to grab command headed into the clubhouse turn. When David Cohen pushed over to the rail with the frontrunner, Joel Rosario had to grab hold of an unhappy Jackie's Warrior and try to wrangle him back to rate in fourth position.

Likeable and Classier boxed Jackie's Warrior at the rail around the clubhouse turn, but Rosario was able to get the favorite outside into third mid-way down the backstretch.

Essential Quality was in eighth early on, concerning Cox until the early fractions flashed on the television screen: Dreamer's Disease was flying early in splits of :22.58, :45.31, and 1:10.48. The trainer was able to relax a bit when he saw Saez start moving up through the pack approaching the far turn.

Jackie's Warrior moved into second behind Dreamer's Disease around the far turn, but 94-1 longshot Hot Rod Charlie was hot on his heels and challenged the favorite at the head of the lane.

Meanwhile, Saez and Essential Quality had tracked Hot Rod Charlie into the stretch and swung out to the center of the course to make his challenge. Hard-ridden to the wire, Essential Quality put away the longshot by three-quarters of a length. Hot Rod Charlie, the half-brother to 2019 Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and champion Mitole, finished second. Keepmeinmind came flying late to nab the show Jackie's Warrior, and Rombauer checked in fifth.

The remaining order of finish is as follows: Dreamer's Disease, King Fury, Classier, Sittin On Go, Reinvestment Risk, Calibrate, Camp Hope, Likeable, and Next.

Essential Quality was bred in Kentucky by the Godolphin operation, and is the fourth foal out of the graded stakes-placed Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality. The colt won on debut over six furlongs at Churchill Downs, then won the 1 1/16-mile Breeders' Futurity by 3 1/4 lengths in his final prep for the Juvenile. His undefeated record and total earnings of $1,335,14 will likely make him the early favorite for next year's Kentucky Derby.

Godolphin his never won the Run for the Roses, though they've won the Juvenile once before (in 2009 with Vale of York).

“I do feel the sky's the limit with this horse,” Cox said.

The post Big Day For Brad Cox: Essential Quality Shows Up With Professional Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Quality Rules in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) rallied from off a hot pace to go three-for-three in Friday’s GI TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, giving Brad Cox back-to-back winners on Future Stars Friday. Stablemate Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) streaked to her own third win from as many tries one race earlier in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Overcoming trouble to take his Churchill sprint unveiling Sept. 5 and a clear-cut winner of the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity over track and trip Oct. 3, Essential Quality was considered by the market to be the second-likeliest winner at 7-2 behind Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music), the winner of the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. and GI Champagne S. who had to contend here with two turns for the first time and expected hot pace.

Essential Quality settled in midpack around the first bend and behind a scramble for early position that saw Jackie’s Warrior tugging eagerly from just behind the leader. The field was strung out behind opening splits of :22.58 and :45.31 over a surface that had been playing kindly to speed, and the grey Essential Quality began to catch the eye out wide while heading into the second turn as Jackie’s Warrior made his move to confront leader Dreamer’s Disease (Laoban). Essential Quality mirrored the move of 94-1 Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow)–a half to last year’s GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint hero Mitole (Eskendereya)–and swept widest into the lane to blow past that runner at the sixteenth pole to get the job done by 3/4 of a length. Breeders’ Futurity runner-up Keepmeinmind (Laoban) filled out the trifecta at 30-1, while Jackie’s Warrior did well to hold on for fourth all things considered.

Cox, who still holds a strong hand for Saturday’s card with five more Breeders’ Cup entrants including GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff favorite Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), also boasts a victory this year in the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks among his 183 wins and counting $14 million-plus in earnings.

“It was a tremendous effort by this horse,” said Cox. “Luis [Saez] stayed after him the whole way. He overcame a lot today. He’s a nice colt. Distance is no issue with him. He’ll run all day. I’m very proud of him and I’m so happy for the Godolphin organization. What a horse. At the three-eighths pole, Luis stayed after him pretty good and I was hoping he wouldn’t flatten out. But he stayed on. He’s a tremendous horse, has an amazing amount of stamina. We’re going to enjoy this one and obviously [the GI Derby] will be our goal moving forward.”

This was Saez’s first Breeders’ Cup score.

“I had a perfect trip, a beautiful trip,” he said. “My horse broke so well. He was in the right spot. I knew there was going to be a lot of speed so we were in the right spot. At the three-eighths he gave me that kick so I knew we had a chance to win the race. He can run all day. He’s a nice horse.”

Friday’s win provided a bit of redemption for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin, whose 2019 Breeders’ Futurity winner Maxfield (Street Sense) was forced to scratch out of last year’s Juvenile renewal due to injury.

“We certainly got a step closer today,” Godolphin USA President Jimmy Bell said. “We’ve experienced both ends of this, the high expectations and anticipations and disappointments with Maxfield last year. And now to come back like this. They [Maxfield and Essential Quality] followed basically followed the same path–race at Churchill, came back won the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. This was a pretty amazing performance today. To do what he did to come from off the pace, to run them down like that in his third lifetime start, it takes a ton of talent to do that. I’m sure he’s still learning. It’s so exciting for everybody this is what you live and dream of.”

Friday, Keeneland
TVG BREEDERS’ CUP JUVENILE PRESENTED BY THOROUGHBRED AFTERCARE ALLIANCE-GI, $1,840,000, Keeneland, 11-6, 2yo, c/g, 1 1/16m, 1:42.09, ft.
1–ESSENTIAL QUALITY, 122, c, 2, by Tapit
1st Dam: Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Jeano, by Fappiano
O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Luis Saez. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $1,335,144. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Hot Rod Charlie, 122, c, 2, Oxbow–Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie. ($17,000 Ylg ’19 FTKFEB; $110,000 Ylg ’19 FTKOCT). O-Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, LLC & Strauss Bros Racing; B-Edward A. Cox (KY); T-Doug F. O’Neill. $340,000.
3–Keepmeinmind, 122, c, 2, Laoban–Inclination, by Victory Gallop. O-Cypress Creek LLC and Bennewith, Arnold; B-Southern Equine Stables, LLC (KY); T-Robertino Diodoro. $180,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1 1/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.70, 94.40, 30.90.
Also Ran: Jackie’s Warrior, Rombauer, Dreamer’s Disease, King Fury, Classier, Sittin On Go, Reinvestment Risk, Calibrate, Camp Hope, Likeable, Next.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
Delightful Quality, a half-sister to 2005 champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (Tiznow), was third in the 2014 GIII Bed o’ Roses S. Godolphin purchased her dam Contrive for $3 million at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton November sale. This is also the family of recent Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Under the winner’s third dam, multiple graded winner Jeano (Fappiano), is graded winner Tizahit (Tiznow), dam of Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint contender Come Dancing (Malibu Moon).

Delightful Quality has a yearling filly by Uncle Mo and was bred back to Nyquist.

Essential Quality is one of 27 Grade I winners for Tapit, who has 86 graded winners and 138 stakes winners. He is the first Grade I winner by Tapit out of an Elusive Quality mare.

As a broodmare sire, the late Elusive Quality has 10 Grade I winners, 50 graded winners and 121 stakes winners. He was broodmare sire of Breeders’ Cup winners Shamrock Rose (First Dude) and Roy H (More Than Ready).

From the Also Rans:
“He got such a wonderful trip from Tyler [Gaffalione]. What a ride. That first turn was just masterful; saved all the ground. He’s a half to Mitole, who won the Breeders’ Cup [Sprint], so we knew the class was in him. He’s built like a two-turn horse. Last time out we put blinkers on him and went two turns and he answered a lot of questions. To say we thought that would happen would be a lie, so it’s pretty special.” –Hot Rod Charlie’s trainer Doug O’Neill

“I broke good. It looked like there were a couple of horses on the outside that wanted to go a little bit, so I held my spot and let them go. It looked like we were going at a good pace in front of me. I thought I was in a good spot. Too bad that those horses came and beat us. He’s a good horse. I was in a good spot and he kept running, but those on the outside came strong and beat us.” —Joel Rosario, rider of Jackie’s Warrior

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Expectations High For ‘Very Consistent’ Tacitus In Breeders’ Cup Classic

Multiple Grade 2 winner Tacitus will attempt to carry the famous green and pink silks of Prince Khalid bin Abdullah Al Saud's Juddmonte Farms to the finish line first on Saturday in one of the world's top races, the Grade 1 Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Carrying a $6 million purse and contested over 1 1/4 miles on dirt, the Classic is the apex of a 14-race, 2-day and $31-million meeting held this year at Keeneland.

Multiple Grade 2 winner Tacitus, who is trained by inaugural Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Bill Mott, will be seeking his first Grade 1 in the race, but has been knocking on the proverbial door throughout his career, including seconds in the Belmont Stakes and Travers, thirds in two Jockey Club Gold Cups and a fourth in the Kentucky Derby. Also fourth in February's $20 million Saudi Cup astern Maximum Security, who reopposes on Saturday, Tacitus subsequently trained during the month of March at Meydan until the Dubai World Cup was ultimately cancelled.

“One of the unfortunate natures of the beast is when very good horses can't get their head in front in races,” said Garrett O'Rourke, General Manager of Juddmonte Farm. “This is a very sound, very talented and very consistent racehorse and you have to give him his credit because he does show up every time. Maybe there are some times when the expectations are higher with him and, yes, we were disappointed last time out (when third in the Jockey Club Gold Cup), but making his own pace does not come easy to him and he consistently runs his race.”

Hopes have been high since birth for the earner of nearly $3 million and winner of four of 14 starts. Tacitus is the first foal of brilliant five-time G1-winning champion mare Close Hatches—also trained by Mott for Juddmonte—and is a son of America's top stallion of the past decade, Tapit. Close Hatches was second in the 2013 Breeders' Cup Distaff and Tapit has sired five Breeders' Cup winners.

“Horses like him often run their best races in races like the Breeders' Cup, when they don't have to worry about the pace because everyone's running for their lives in the race,” O'Rourke continued. “That will hopefully be the case and we can save all the ground from the rail (post). Hopefully that will be the difference. He's also a horse who also has been looking good and doing well for so long because he's always been healthy and sound. He's an honest horse in the big scheme of things and we have always aimed very high with him. Bill (Mott) wants to run him and that's what you want. If you're aiming for the stars, you want to go with the trainer driving you.”

Mott, who seeks his 11th Breeders' Cup trophy, updated on the eye-catching colt's training: “He's good, he's fresh and he feels good. He worked good here and he came out of that in good order. He's got to improve because the competition is a little tougher this time. I think the race having a little pace in it will be to his benefit. They have a long run to the turn, so everyone should get a good spot.”

If all goes well, it seems not impossible that fans, especially in his owner's native Saudi Arabia, may see him again. No decision has been made if the blueblood will stay in training, but if so, the early targets would likely be the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup, once again.

“I sure hope he (stays in training),” Mott continued. “He's not a horse who had a big 2-year-old campaign or anything and is worn out. I think he's a horse that should be a good 5-year-old. Maybe he hasn't reached his peak yet.”

In addition to champion Maximum Security, Tacitus' main competition is plentiful. From the rail out, after Tacitus, are Belmont (G1) winner Tiz the Law, Oaklawn Handicap (G1) winner By My Standards, Clark (G1) winner Tom's d'Etat, G2-placed longshot Title Ready, 2019 Pacific Classic (G1) winner Higher Power, Woodward (G1) winner Global Campaign, Whitney (G1) winner Improbable, Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic and Maximum Security. Early favoritism resides with Improbable.

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Notable US-Bred & -Sired Runners in Japan: Oct. 31, 2020

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Saturday running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. Former Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) makes her first start since June in defense of her title in the G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn), a race connections will use as a springboard to potential targets at home and/or abroad over the next six weeks:

Saturday, October 31, 2020
5th-KYO, ¥13,400,000 ($128k), Newcomers, 2yo, 2000mT
VICTORION (JPN) (c, 2, Uncle Mo–Easter Island, by Giant’s Causeway) is the first foal for his dam, an unraced daughter of GISW Awesome Maria (Maria’s Mon), who was purchased for $350K carrying this foal in utero at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale. Victorion, whose female family includes Grade I winners Discreet Cat and Discreetly Mine, was purchased for ¥20 million ($180,400) as a foal at th 2018 JRHA Select Sale and his yearling half-sister by successful young sire Duramente (Jpn) made ¥22 million ($206,785) at the Hokkaido Summer Yearling Sale this past August. Easter Island also has a weanling colt by Orfevre (Jpn). B-Hidaka Taiyo Bokujo

6th-TOK, ¥13,400,000 ($128k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1600m
AMERICAN YELL (c, 2, Tapit–Sindy With an S, by Broken Vow), a $700K KEESEP purchase, is out of a Grade III-winning dam who has already worked well with this sire, producing SW & GSP My Miss Tapit and the GSP duo I’ll Wrap It Up and Rattataptap. Owner Katsumi Yoshizawa, who campaigned Master Fencer (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) in the 2019 Triple Crown, also races SP American Seed (Tapit), who aired by seven lengths in his first start on dirt last weekend. B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd (KY)

ANNUNCIATION (c, 2, Union Rags–Acquant, by Giant’s Causeway) is the first produce for his three-time winning dam, a daughter of dual Grade III winner Social Queen (Dynaformer), whose son Force The Pass (Speightstown) took out the 2015 GI Belmont Derby Invitational S. A $230K KEESEP acquisition, the chestnut is a half-brother to an Arrogate colt that was bought back for $425K at KEESEP last month and a weanling colt by Mastery. B-Colts Neck Stables LLC (KY)

NIGHT FROLIC (c, 2, Into Mischief-Frolic’s Revenge, by Vindication) is out of a five-time stakes winner that has already been responsible for SW American Frolic (Blame) and SP Mc Awesome (Super Saver). The April foal’s MSW second dam Stormy Frolic (Summer Squall) was a daughter of GSW Lindsay Frolic (Mt. Livermore), whose 10 winners from 12 to race included GSW/MGISP Super Frolic (Pine Bluff). Night Frolic cost $300K at KEESEP. B-Woodford Thoroughbreds (KY)

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