Essential Quality Guts It Out in the Blue Grass

[Wandering Eyes]

Godolphin's reigning champion juvenile colt ESSENTIAL QUALITY (c, 3, Tapit–Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality) will head to the GI Kentucky Derby as the undisputed and unbeaten favorite after outlasting Highly Motivated (Into Mischief) in an outstanding renewal of the GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Saturday at Keeneland. Highly Motivated, a latest third in the GIII Gotham S., was popped away from the gate by Javier Castellano, but clearly the game plan in the Essential Quality camp was to not allow that one a lonely lead. With that in mind, Luis Saez asked his mount for more speed than is his custom and the duo–more or less–had the race to themselves for every yard of the nine furlongs. Highly Motivated and Essential Quality raced side by side through solid fractions and they began to pull clear of the rest of the Blue Grass runners approaching the quarter pole. Highly Motivated dug in very gamely inside and still held the call entering the final eighth of a mile, looking as if he could pull it off, but Essential Quality was equal to the task, knuckling down tenaciously to be up in the dying strides to take it by about a neck. Rombauer (Twirling Candy) enjoyed the run of the race and although he was beaten by many, rounded out the trifecta. Essential Quality is one of as many as three horses that could make the gate for the Derby, a group including Proxy (Tapit) and G2 UAE Derby winner Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Lifetime Record: 5-5-0-0. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox.

Saturday, Keeneland
TOYOTA BLUE GRASS S.-GII, $800,000, Keeneland, 4-3, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:48.50, ft.
1–ESSENTIAL QUALITY, 123, 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. $480,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Colt-US,
5-5-0-0, $2,265,144. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
   eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Highly Motivated, 123, c, 3, Into Mischief–Strong Incentive,
by Warrior's Reward. ($240,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Klaravich
Stables, Inc.; B-Klaravich Stables (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$160,000.
3–Rombauer, 123, c, 3, Twirling Candy–Cashmere, by Cowboy
Cal. O-Fradkin, John and Fradkin, Diane; B-John Fradkin &
Diane Fradkin (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $80,000.
Margins: NK, 5HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 3.60, 24.00.
Also Ran: Hidden Stash, Keepmeinmind, Sittin On Go, Hush of a Storm, Untreated, Leblon.
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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