Essential Quality Draws Post 4 for Blue Grass Stakes

Godolphin's homebred champion Essential Quality  drew post 4 March 30 for the $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), the April 3 nine-furlong Road to the Kentucky Derby prep at Keeneland.

The undefeated son of Tapit, who has already notched two grade 1 wins at Keeneland, is the 3-5 morning-line favorite and will be ridden by Luis Saez, who has been in the saddle for the colt's three graded stakes wins. They come into the Blue Grass off a 4 1/4-length win in the Southwest Stakes (G3) on a sloppy Oaklawn Park track.

"Post position, it's important. But I feel comfortable in the 4 hole," said trainer Brad Cox. "Obviously Luis is on him, and he knows what to do away from there. We're in a good spot with him. Very happy with where he is mentally, physically. And the post is fine."

Though Essential Quality had proven himself at Oaklawn, Cox indicated early he would aim for the Blue Grass because of the spacing with the Derby.

"Brad had a pretty good idea after the Breeders' Cup of what he wanted to do," said Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin USA. "It wasn't a question of points but how can we best get to the Kentucky Derby. Essential Quality certainly relishes the track at Keeneland, which is important."

The Blue Grass Stakes is one of three Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying races April 3 that award 100 points to the winner and 170 points total to the top four finishers that are distributed 100-40-20-10. The other races are the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) and Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Timing and experience also are what put Essential Quality in the Southwest. Cox knew he was going to stable his star colt at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots during the winter but didn't want to start him off in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) because it was too early in the year. He also passed on the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) because he didn't want Essential Quality making his 2021 debut at 1 1/8 miles.

"I thought the mile and a sixteenth made more sense," Cox told publicist Jennie Rees March 29. "(The Southwest) was a nice purse ($750,000) and it gave us the opportunity to ship him. We were able to educate him a bit. Those are positive experiences as long as they handle it well and they can benefit, which he did. He was able to ship in four days before the race, which is the same thing he did at Keeneland twice last year."

Essential Quality arrived at Keeneland March 28 after working five furlongs the day before at Fair Grounds in 1:00. On Tuesday morning, the colt made an appearance on Keeneland's main track where he galloped about 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Elver Vargas. He had not been on the track since last fall when he won the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) and TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), which locked down champion 2-year-old male honors for the year.

"It's very rare for a horse to be able to be four for four and have different tactics," Cox continued. "He's won from three-quarters all the way to 1 1/16 miles at the grade 1 level. I just think it speaks volumes to actually how good he is and how much talent he has. We're in a good spot with him. He's just a very good horse."

Second choice in the Blue Grass field of nine is Klaravich Stables' Highly Motivated , who comes into the race off a third in the Gotham Stakes (G3) and already owns a win at Keeneland. The son of Into Mischief   won the Nov. 6 Nyquist Stakes on the Breeders' Cup World Championships Friday under card in track record time, going 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.99. Highly Motivated, who is trained by Chad Brown, was the favorite in the Gotham but lost momentum soon after the break when jockey Javier Castellano was forced to check as the field came in toward the rail where Aqueduct's chute joins the main track. He finished 1 3/4 lengths behind the winner, Weyburn.

Castellano has the mount in the Blue Grass and will be breaking from post 3.

"I like his chances of getting the mile-and-an-eighth better on a tighter track at Keeneland than at Aqueduct. He's ready for a big race," said Brown.

Third choice at 8-1 on the morning line is Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm's Keepmeinmind .

Trained by Robertino Diodoro, the son of Laoban   returns to Keeneland where he twice faced Essential Quality. He finished second to the Blue Grass favorite in the Breeders' Futurity and third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Keepmeinmind closed his 2020 campaign by scoring his first win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Sixth in the Rebel Stakes (G2) in his 2021 debut, Keepmeinmind will be ridden Saturday by David Cohen and break from post 9.

"I like being outside rather than inside; he's a big horse," Diodoro said of Keepmeinmind, who was scheduled to arrive at Keeneland the evening of March 31 from Oaklawn.

At 10-1 is Team Valor International's Untreated , a recent maiden winner at Tampa Bay Downs who will break from post 2 under Joel Rosario. Untreated is a son of Nyquist  , who won the 2016 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

"We think a lot of our horse," said Barry Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor. "We know he's behind the 8 ball in terms of experience and seasoning, but he can run 1 1/4 miles. The farther he goes, the more he likes it. He's continuing to train well, and we're going to run him in here. If the horse was a speed horse, I wouldn't do it. But a horse like this, a come-from-behind horse who can pick up horses, I feel it's worth trying him here."

The Blue Grass is race 11 on Keeneland's April 3 card with post time at 6:35 p.m. ET.

Correspondent Bob Ehalt contributed to this report.

Entries: Toyota Blue Grass S. (G2)

Keeneland, Saturday, April 03, 2021, Race 11

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $800,000
• 3 yo
• 6:35 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hidden Stash (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	123	Victoria H. Oliver	20/1
2	2Untreated (KY)	Joel Rosario	123	Todd A. Pletcher	10/1
3	3Highly Motivated (KY)	Javier Castellano	123	Chad C. Brown	3/1
4	4Essential Quality (KY)	Luis Saez	123	Brad H. Cox	3/5
5	5Rombauer (KY)	Florent Geroux	123	Michael W. McCarthy	15/1
6	6Leblon (KY)	Albin Jimenez	123	Paulo H. Lobo	50/1
7	7Hush of a Storm (NY)	Santiago Gonzalez	123	William E. Morey	15/1
8	8Sittin On Go (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	123	Dale L. Romans	30/1
9	9Keepmeinmind (KY)	David Cohen	123	Robertino Diodoro	8/1