A Weekend to Savour for Godolphin as Essential Quality Captures Belmont Stakes

Mark Smith - Sunday June 6

Not content with a 1-3 finish in the Derby at Epsom, Godolphin went 1-2 in Saturday's Grade 1 Longines Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park before the Brad Cox-trained Essential Quality put the cherry on top in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes.

 Making his first start since finishing fourth as favourite in the Kentucky Derby, Essential Quality made a long, sweeping run four wide, before gradually wearing down a brave Hot Rode Charlie for a hard-fought one and a quarter length victory.  Rombauer was eleven and a quarter lengths back in third.

Essential Quality (image World Horse Racing twitter)

Essential Quality defeated Hot Rod Charlie in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile but was one behind his old foe in the Kentucky Derby.

Essential Quality becomes the fourth winner of the Belmont for champion sire Tapit after Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016), and Tapwrit (2017).

Advertisement

Tapit's promising young stallion Frosted (USA) finished runner-up to Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (USA) in the 2015 Belmont Stakes.

With a record of six wins from seven starts, Essential Quality looks well on his way to adding Champion 3yo honours to his Champion 2yo colt title.

"This is my second home. This is the race I wanted to win. We made history," winning rider Luis Saez said.

"I had a lot of horse and the good thing about Essential (Quality) is that he always fights. He doesn't care who it is, he's going to want to beat them, so I knew he was going to show up at the top of the stretch."

Brad Cox said the frantic early pace suited his charge.

"With the Tapit on top, we really thought he would get the mile and a half when given the opportunity," he said.

"We always thought he had the ability. After the Derby, you just have to see what it takes out of them. It's a demanding race as well as the Belmont. We were watching him for a week or so. We put our heads together and felt like if we are going to keep him in training we might as well run him. I really didn't think I could keep his feet on the ground the next couple of months without keeping him on some type of breeze schedule. He's a very smart horse. He has a lot of energy, but he lets you know when he's ready to run."

Essential Quality is the lone winner from two to race out of the stakes-placed Elusive Quality (USA) mare Delightful Quality whose unraced dam Contrive (Storm Cat) for $3million at the 1005 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Delightful Quality produced the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Grade 1 Matron Stakes winner Folklore (Tiznow), whose daughter Rhodochrosite (Unbridled's Song) is the dam of the Japanese Triple Crown hero Contrail (Deep Impact).

Tapit (Gainesway Farm)

Advertisment
More Reading...
Who Was Flight?
A G1 race since 1984, the Flight Stakes is a race won by special fillies - often the ones who go on to do extraordinary things on the track against all comers as older mares and that's as it should be as Hall Of Fame legend Flight exemplified that style of thoroughbred.
Mogumber Park hoists wet sail with Marine One
This time last year, the first foals by Mogumber Park stallion Marine One were widely regarded as some of the best types on the ground in Western Australia.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
We had three heats for 2YO’s run at Warwick Farm on Friday morning over 815m with winners by Farnan, Ole Kirk and Kia Ora Stud’s first season sire Captivant, while Stay Inside had an impressive trial winner at Murray Bridge.
One to Watch – Geelong
Trilogy Racing will have high hopes for the their talented filly Queen of Clubs in the Group I ATC Flight Stakes on Saturday and their colours were in the frame at Geelong on Thursday carried by a Zoustar filly that saluted on debut.
Kiwi Sires a Recipe for NZB Ready to Run Sale Success
Much of the NZB Ready to Run Sale’s extraordinary success has been underpinned by the stallions that have stood in New Zealand in recent decades.
Recent success highlights Inglis Digital October (Early) Sale
A range of exciting racing and breeding prospects – as well as a number of in-form racehorses and shares in Stakes winners – headline the Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Sale.
Four Winners for Dennis
Local trainer Robert Dennis won half of the eight-race card at Ascot Park on Friday, culminating with a special win by Sir Sterling in the Vale Tony Dennis (1400m).
Breeding To Win – 2025 G1 Darley Flight Stakes
The prestigious Darley Princess Series reaches its crescendo this week with the 77th running of the $750,000 G1 ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) over Royal Randwick's famous mile.
New Stakes-Winner for Zoustar
The $150,000 Listed Hannan’s Handicap (1400m) provided reigning champion sire Zoustar with a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding Multinational led for home and could not be caught.
2YO Stakes Racing – Sale Mail
Three stakes races for new season juveniles add plenty of interest to a stellar day of racing this Saturday in Sydney and Melbourne, so let’s take a look at the Sale Mail for these races.