Essential Quality Takes 2-Year-Old Male Honors

Whether he was running in a maiden race on the undercard of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, or in grade 1 races at Keeneland, Essential Quality  was always victorious in 2020.

Now, just a month into 2021 and as he readies for his first start at 3, he has won another prize: the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old male of 2020. 

Eclipse voters honored perfection, which Essential Quality, a homebred son of Tapit   owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Godolphin, accomplished during a three-race campaign. The Brad Cox trainee won his debut at six furlongs at Churchill Downs on a COVID-19 postponed Derby Day Sept. 5 and then stretched out successfully to routes. He notched the Oct. 3 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) by 31/4 lengths at Keeneland and repeated at the Lexington oval a month later in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).

Though it was the latter two races that led to his championship, it was his four-length debut win—coming with traffic issues and at a distance shorter than his perceived liking—that left his connections with stars in their eyes.

"You would not have anticipated a first-time starter that wanted to go long would be able to do that," said Jimmy Bell, president and racing manager for Godolphin. "So that sort of served notice he had a lot more dimensions than needing distance to be effective."

Over the course of his campaign, Essential Quality also proved the ability to adapt to any trip or pace. He rallied from nine lengths behind in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile when the early fractions were quick, a start after pressing slow fractions in the Breeders' Futurity.

The Juvenile was a satisfying reward for Godolphin, whose leading 2-year-old of 2019, the Brendan Walsh-trained Maxfield  (who also won the Breeders' Futurity), had to scratch from that year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park due to injury.

Like Maxfield, Essential Quality is a Godolphin homebred. He hails from the Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality, a graded-placed half sister to 2005 champion 2-year-old filly Folklore.

"That's the cherry on top," Bell said of breeding Essential Quality. "Everybody is always excited and grateful to have a winner at that level, no matter if purchased or not, but the fact that he is a homebred certainly doubles the meaning and certainly for Sheikh Mohammed. He's invested in his breeding operation, broodmares, and stallions, and this sort of completes the entire picture."