ELMONT, N.Y. — Last summer at Keeneland, Brad Cox had just seen Essential Quality complete a strong workout when the trainer made a proclamation. “That’s my Belmont Stakes horse,” Cox said.
And he was right.
Essential Quality, under a patient ride by Luis Saez, started picking off horses on the far turn and by the top of the stretch was side-by-side with leader Hot Rod Charlie before pulling away with about 100 yards left to win by 1 1/4 lengths.
The 1 1/2-mile race started with Hot Rod Charlie going to the front with France Go De Ina and Rock Your World right there with him. In the middle of the clubhouse turn, Rock Your World tried to draw even with Hot Rod Charlie, but the Doug O’Neill-trained colt didn’t want to give up the lead. It was entering the far turn that Essential Quality started to make his move.
Essential Quality paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.60. Hot Rod Charlie was second followed by Rombauer, Known Agenda, Bourbonic, Rock Your World, Overtook and France Go De Ina.
“That was a long way around there, a mile and a half,” Cox said. “It was exciting. I thought [the fast pace] benefited our horse. Obviously, Hot Rod Charlie ran a tremendous race.
“Luis did a fantastic job getting him into position turning for home and he was really able to show his stamina on the lead. … I knew it was going to be a battle down the lane.”
As for his proclamation last summer, Cox admitted he may have made similar comments about other horses being a Belmont Stakes horse and been wrong since Essential Quality was Cox’s first ever starter in the race.
Essential Quality was the favorite in the Kentucky Derby but a collision with Rock Your World out of the gate and having to run farther than other horses may have doomed his race. It was his first loss in six races. He was named the champion 2-year-old colt by virtue of winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Saturday was Cox’s first Triple Crown win, but may end up being his second. Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby and his colt Mandaloun finished second. Medina Spirit tested positive for a legal medication, but not legal on race day. He was treated with betamethasone for a skin rash, according to his trainer, Bob Baffert. Both the original and split sample came back with trace amounts for the drug, which has a zero tolerance in Kentucky.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is expected to disqualify the horse very soon, which will be followed by a hearing and then litigation if the disqualification holds up. If the disqualification holds up, Mandaloun will be named the winner of the race and, chronologically, it will be Cox’s first Triple Crown race win.
Only one other time was a horse disqualified for medication and that was in 1968 when Dancer’s Image was disqualified and Forward Pass made the winner. It took four years to settle the case.
