[ad_1]
Essential Quality wins Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park
Essential quality (Godolphin Stables) achieved everything that could be achieved in 2020, winning two Grade 1s including the Breeders Cup Youthon his way to an Eclipse Award as Champion 2-Year-Old.
The Tapit stallion made an even bolder statement on Saturday by taking command in the final corner and holding off the determined pacer Hot Rod Charlie for a 1 1/4-length victory in at Belmont Park.
The third and final leg of the Triple Crown Series completed a string of nine consecutive outings, including eight Grade 1s, on a 13-race card. After being played without spectators in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shortened to 1 1/8 miles as the first leg of the Triple Crown, the “Test of the Champion” took place again in front of fans and in famous form 1/2- mile distance, restoring its status as the longest American classic.
Essential Quality, the 6-5 favorite whose only non-win was a competitive fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in May, gave conditioner Brad Cox, the reigning Eclipse Award winner for outstanding trainer, his first career victory since a year of Triple Crown racing. Essential Quality won for the sixth time in seven career starts with five graded stakes results.
“With the Tapit in the lead, we really thought he could do the mile and a half if he had the chance,” Cox said. “We always thought he had what it took. After the derby you'll just have to see what they get out of it. It is as demanding a race as the Belmont. We watched him for about a week. We put our heads together.” And I felt like if we were going to keep him in training, we might as well let him train. I really didn't think I would be able to keep him grounded for the next few months without keeping him on a loose schedule. He's a very smart horse, but he lets you know when he's ready to run.
After a difficult start in the Kentucky Derby, Essential Quality was looking for a better ride in the Belmont Stakes, which he achieved under regular rider Luis Saez, who broke from post 2. With flawless play, Essential Quality ended up in fifth place when jockey Flavien Prat sent Hot Rod Charlie to the front from post 4, scoring fast with the quarter mile in 22.78 seconds and the half mile in 46.49 seconds on the fast main track early fractions for the eight-horse field.
Essential Quality, still in a comfortable position, took advantage of the high pace and Saez made a strong move out of the final corner. At the end of the course there was a two-horse race that pitted Essential Quality against Hot Rod Charlie before the Kentucky native passed his rival and completed the course in 2:27.11.
“He got off his feet well, but it took him four or five steps to get into position in the first corner,” Cox said. “I was a little shocked. I thought we'd be a little closer on our own. When we saw the first quarter, I felt good. And then the 46 he was in the middle and on the outside.”
“At this point, even over distance, he should be catching up at this pace,” Cox added. “Luis did a good job putting him in position. By the time we headed home we were pretty level with the leader. Hot Rod Charlie ran a great race to hang on long after he had done most of the dirty work. Actually our horse.” showed his talent and endurance.
Saez also won his first Classic alongside Cox, having previously come closest with Bravazo's second-place finish in the 2018 Preakness. All of Essential Quality's stakes wins have come with Saez in the irons. Saez crossed the finish line first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Maximum Security, but was disqualified and finished 17th.
“It was very special,” Saez said. “I'm so proud to be here and come out of this with a win [2019 Kentucky] Derby was a little [tough]but you know things happen so I'm fine.
“It’s been quite a journey,” Saez continued. “I expected that, we knew there would be a lot of speed so we tried to make a clean break and be straight there. I knew he was going to run his race at the end of the course. At the back he took the bridle and was moving pretty well, so I'm not going to try to take him back and go in when he was running pretty well.
Essential Quality won his first five starts, including the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity in October at Keeneland and two wins on the Kentucky Derby qualifying route with scores in the Grade 3 Southwest over 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park in February and the 1 1/ 8-mile Class 2 bluegrass in April at Keeneland.
The 6-5 Belmont Stakes favorite returned $4.60 with a $2 win bet. By passing the 12-step test, Essential Quality earned $800,000 and increased his career budget to over $3.2 million.
Essential Quality was Godolphin's first starter in the Belmont Stakes since Frosted finished second to American Pharoah in his famous Triple Crown win in 2015.
“We were very lucky to get another opportunity [after the Derby]said Jimmy Bell, President of Godolphin USA. “He's never run a bad race in his life and I think he showed today that he's passed the test of being a champion.” Doing what he did as a two-year-old and running these races as a three-year-old with that Finishing the 1.5-mile classic is a great tribute to him.”
Hot Rod Charlie, owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, William Strauss and Gainesway Stable, secured a spot in a second Triple Crown race after finishing third in the recent Kentucky Derby for trainer Doug O'Neill.
Hot Rod Charlie followed in his father's footsteps as 2013 Preakness winner Oxbow also finished second in that year's Belmont. Hot Rod Charlie, bred by Edward Cox Jr., finished 11 1/4 lengths ahead of current Preakness winner Rombauer.
It was the second time Hot Rod Charlie finished second to Essential Quality, repeating the exact performance of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland.
“Our horse told us today he's a player,” O'Neill said. “He was pushed. He did all the dirty work. Essential Quality ran a huge race and I think Charlie showed that he tried every step from start to finish. He just couldn’t stand up to a champion.”
Prat, who returned to ride Hot Rod Charlie in the Belmont Stakes after guiding Rombauer to his Preakness victory, helped his horse to black type for the fifth time in his career.
“We had a good race,” said Prat. “He made good progress at the front and was really strong today. It was a great performance. We were under a lot of pressure, but I don't think that would have mattered today. I’m really proud of my horse.”
John and Diane Fradkin's Rombauer, trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez, improved to 3-1-2 with a third-place finish in eight career starts.
“He did well. We saved the whole floor,” Velazquez said. “He tried his best but couldn’t make it. I had a good trip. I lagged behind the winners and the winning move was on the outside, a little too early for me, so I waited a little longer and was a good third.”
Well-known Agenda and stablemate Bourbonic finished fourth and fifth for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Rock Your World came sixth, followed by Pletcher trainee Overtook. France Go de Ina was easily marginalized.
Sunday's live race at Belmont Park will feature a nine-race card with a first post at 1 p.m. Eastern. The $150,000 Jersey Girl for three-year-old fillies over six furlongs will be run as Race 7 at 4:08 p.m
OffTrackBetting.com – US Law Belmont Stakes OTB is a great way to bet on the third leg of the Triple Crown horse race. OTB is available to customers throughout the United States and offers both Thoroughbred and Standardblood racing from major tracks in the United States as well as top international racing from Europe, Japan, Australia and Hong Kong.
[ad_2]
