Essential Quality Home at Darley; Famed Eyes Golden Rod

As multiple grade 1 winner Essential Quality   settles back in at Darley's Jonabell Farm—where he was foaled and raised—in advance of a stud career in 2022, his 2-year-old half sister Famed  may be set to pick up the mantle.

The Uncle Mo   filly is under consideration for the Nov. 27 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, according to Michael Banahan, director of farm operations for Godolphin's Jonabell Farm. A start in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks points race would mark Famed's graded stakes debut straight off an impressive maiden score at second asking Oct. 30 at Keeneland.

"She broke her maiden very nicely and was always very well thought of," said Banahan, who is currently transitioning to the director of bloodstock role for Godolphin USA pending the end-of-year retirement of Jimmy Bell.

(1) Famed rounds out the #Keeneland Fall Race Meet with jockey @flothejock aboard. (5) Honeycomb and (11) Catwings follow in Race 10. pic.twitter.com/2wTAFrL2Hf

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 30, 2021

Famed romped in the slop in Lexington in a seven-furlong maiden special weight under Florent Geroux, who had her well under wraps as she cruised beneath the line with a 7 3/4-length advantage on her closest competitor.

"Brad Cox always thought she was one of the nicer 2-year-olds he's had for us," Banahan said.

Famed still has large hoofprints to fill left by her Tapit   half brother, who won the 2020 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) and TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) to clinch championship honors as the top 2-year-old male of the season, then returned with an another standout 2021 campaign. The dappled gray won the Southwest Stakes (G3) and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2), was fourth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), won the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1), Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1), and capped his career Nov. 6 with a third in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). He enters stud for an advertised $75,000 fee.

"(Essential Quality is) absolutely fantastic," said Banahan. "He's been busy (showing to prospective breeders); he's settled in very well. He's great. He's a fantastic horse to have on the farm again. He's been showing the past couple of days and he's like a professional out there. He has a great mind and it's great to have him on the farm. We're very proud of him, we think he'll have a great career as a stallion, and we're excited to have him out there."

The Godolphin homebred was the breakthrough horse for the Elusive Quality  mare Delightful Quality , who only had one of her three prior foals reach the racetrack, that one going unplaced in one start. After coming up barren the past two seasons, the mare is back in foal to Tapit.

"She's in foal, doing well, and she's going to go back to Tapit next year again," said Banahan. "She's an easy mare to breed to, she's good-looking stock, so hopefully even if it's not as good a runner as he is, hopefully we'll get another nice runner out of her."