Belmont Spurs Essential Quality-Hot Rod Charlie Rivalry

For nearly three decades of his life, Brad Cox had dreamed about being the trainer of a horse good enough to win a Triple Crown race.

On occasions far too numerous to count, he envisioned how euphoric and overwhelming it would be.

Then, after nearly 17 years of training horses, he registered that coveted Triple Crown victory and found out…

It was an even bigger thrill than he could have imagined.

"It felt better than I thought," the 41-year-old Eclipse Award-winning trainer said June 6 outside his Belmont Park barn. "It really was amazing. Just being in position turning for home, thinking it could happen, and it did. I normally don't get too excited watching a race. I try to keep it inside, but I was yelling for (jockey Luis Saez) to keep him going. To win a race I grew up watching like the Belmont Stakes, which is an American classic, was a feeling that exceeds your expectations."

All of that exhilaration was generated by Godolphin's Essential Quality  who gave Cox that highly coveted victory by winning the June 5 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) by 1 1/4 lengths after an exciting stretch duel with runner-up Hot Rod Charlie  and no doubt vaulting to the top of the 3-year-old leaderboard.

"He's probably the leader in the clubhouse," Cox said about Godolphin's homebred son of Tapit   out of the Elusive Quality  mare Delightful Quality  who has won six of seven career starts, "but I think he needs to add to his résumé. Another grade 1 would help and put us in a good spot."

Since there were three different Triple Crown winners—and there could be a fourth if the Cox-trained Mandaloun  is declared the winner of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) in the aftermath of the victorious Medina Spirit  failing post-race drug tests—the next two grade 1 dirt tests for 3-year-olds should add even more definition to the chase for an Eclipse Award.

The $1 million TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) July 17 at Monmouth Park could attract Hot Rod Charlie, Kentucky Derby runner-up (for the moment) Mandaloun, who may run June 13 in the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth, and Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Midnight Bourbon . The $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course looms as the main goal for Essential Quality, who may use the July 31 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at the Spa as a prep race.

Yet whatever paths are followed and races chosen, the Belmont Stakes showcased a rare yet exciting rivalry between Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie. Both horses were superb at 2 and have maintained their spots atop the division at 3, which rarely happens.

Consider that Essential Quality won the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) to wrap up the 2-year-old title with Hot Rod Charlie second by a little less than a length at 94-1 odds. Now, seven months later, they became the first two horses to duplicate their 1-2 order of finish in the Juvenile in a Triple Crown race in 37 editions of the World Championships. The only similar result came in 1984, in the very first Juvenile, when Breeders' Cup runner-up Tank's Prospect won the 1985 Preakness and Breeders' Cup winner Chief's Crown was second.

"What Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie have done does not happen that often. You're always hopeful your good 2-year-olds will be even better at 3 but it doesn't always work out that way. You can be good at 2 but to turn around and be good at 3 is a whole different dynamic. These horses have gotten better," Cox said. "Hot Rod Charlie is obviously a very good horse and ran a winning race Saturday. He just happened to cross the wire second but he ran a tremendous race and (trainer) Doug O'Neill has done a fantastic job with him and managing him."

Through three meetings, Essential Quality has beaten Hot Rod Charlie twice. In the Kentucky Derby, Hot Rod Charlie was third, a head in front of Essential Quality, who suffered his lone career loss.

Based off Saturday's race, the next meeting, wherever it happens, could be another epic duel between two horses who distanced themselves from the six other horses chasing them Saturday. Third in the Belmont was John and Diane Fradkin's Preakness winner Rombauer , who was a distant 11 1/4 lengths behind Hot Rod Charlie, diminishing his Eclipse Award chances as he's finished behind Essential Quality in each of their two meetings this year.

"I felt like it was a good race yesterday with the battle down the lane and that's always good for racing," Cox said. "I think rivalries in sports are huge. There's no doubt about it."

Cox, who has a 2-year-old half sister by Uncle Mo   to his Belmont winner for Godolphin in the unraced filly Famed, said Essential Quality came out of Saturday's race fine and will return to Churchill Downs June 7. He will likely head to Saratoga earlier than most years due to impending construction at the Louisville track.

Depending on what happens with the Haskell, The Travers is also in the picture for Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, William Strauss, and Gainesway Thoroughbreds' Hot Rod Charlie.

"I think we could be in for a lot of fun watching those two go at each other for a while," O'Neill said about his son of Oxbow   and Essential Quality. "I think the Travers has definitely been circled as a dream goal, and it would definitely be great to hook back up with Essential Quality."

The grade 2-winning Hot Rod Charlie will be returning to California June 8 after a heroic effort in which he set the fastest opening-quarter mile in Belmont Stakes history (:22.78) and was still battling until the final yards.

"The fastest early quarter in the history of the Belmont, right? Just a proud moment to be a part of that, and he fought until the end and gave a valiant effort," O'Neill said. "What he did yesterday, I don't know that I've gotten as many texts after losing the race as I did."

Out of the Indian Charlie mare Indian Miss, Hot Rod Charlie has won only two of nine starts but has two seconds and three thirds and has never finished worse than third in five starts in a graded stakes.

"Speaking for the whole team, which is a lot of us, we're all just so darn proud to be connected with an unbelievable athlete like 'Charlie.' I think the result of him giving 100% every morning in his gallops and works is why we saw the result we saw (Saturday). This morning he licked the feed tub and was full of energy around the barn," O'Neill said. "He's just a fit horse that brings it every day and was so ready for a big effort."