Davis Looking for a Derby Hopeful in Withers-Bound Mo Quality

Mo Quality looks to get back to the winner's circle
in the Withers Stakes | Coady

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When Mo Quality (Mo Town) failed to meet his reserve as a 2-year-old, Gary Broad's Walmac Farm opted to race the colt in their own silks and send him on to trainer Chris Davis. Looking back now, Davis is just fine with how it all played out as the son of Mo Town is set to start in this weekend's Withers Stakes at Aqueduct on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

A $50,000 Keeneland September purchase for Walmac, Mo Quality didn't get much action when he was offered at last year's OBS June Sale, but as soon as he arrived at Davis's barn at Turfway Park, the trainer liked what he saw.

“Walmac typically buys colts for stallion prospects and some well-bred fillies and they'll run a few of them through the sale, but if they don't meet reserve they will just keep them,” explained Davis. “I think he kind of fell under the radar a bit, which is lucky for me. He was always just a dude, I mean a straightforward, classy horse. He actually came together quicker than I thought he would for being a big, strong horse. Once he started working, he got fit fast.”

Davis didn't initially intend to debut Mo Quality at Keeneland last fall, but the colt was training so well in the mornings that he called an audible. After brushing a rival at the gate, Mo Quality dropped back to eleventh in the 6 ½ furlong contest but then closed late to place second behind Touchy (Nyquist), who was already stakes placed in the Tremont S. earlier in the year.

“I didn't think he would make up that much ground first time out,” said Davis. “He's not a horse that I really geared to have ready to win first time out because I think he wanted to go two turns.”

After breaking his maiden a month later at Churchill Downs, where he was able to race closer to the pace, Mo Quality stepped up to stakes company in the Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 4. Davis said that while the race didn't play out quite as hoped, the colt still showed plenty of potential in his runner-up performance behind multiple stakes winner Coal Battle (Coal Front).

“I think we should have let him go a little bit quicker, have the pace a little bit more honest, and he was still just a little bit green down the lane,” Davis admitted. “It was his first time routing and he was kind of late changing to his right lead. Then once he did, he galloped out really well. He really wasn't tired post-race. He cooled out in about five minutes, drank half a bucket of water and was done. I think with a little bit of a more honest pace, we would have been right there.”

That performance at Oaklawn gave Davis the confidence to send his trainee to another Kentucky Derby challenge series event. The winner of this weekend's Withers Stakes will receive 20 qualifying points.

“I don't think the distance will be an issue,” said Davis. “He's proven around two turns already. Timing wise, it's a little quick back, but if he wins this he'll have 25 points and then I can just let him relax and give him six weeks before either the Jeff Ruby or the Blue Grass or maybe come back for the Wood Memorial.”

Kendrick Carmouche gets the mount on Mo Quality for the Withers, which drew a field of seven.

“I think the horse is going to break a little bit sharper than he did at Oaklawn,” reported Davis. “I'm not going to tell Kendrick to send him to the lead or take him back, but let the horse get into a comfortable rhythm and see wherever that puts him.”

Mo Quality arrived at Belmont Park earlier this week and will be the second horse to race at Aqueduct for Davis, who launched his career at Arlington Park in 2016. When Arlington closed, Davis shifted his base to Turfway.

Last year marked a career-best season for Davis when he amassed 38 wins. Richard Perkins homebred Windy Walk (Munnings) accounted for seven of those victories, including a score in the Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream. Politicallycorrect (Violence) was another stable star last year, claiming the Bashford Manor Stakes and placing second in the Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes. After a winter layoff, the 3-year-old colt co-owned by Walmac Farm, Five Fillies Stable and Ryan Ritt is set to return to training in the coming weeks.

Politicallycorrect scores in the 2024 Bashford Manor Stakes | Coady

Walmac Farm has been a steady supporter of Davis's stable since owner Gary Broad, who is based in California, purchased the historic Walmac property in Lexington in 2018 and expanded his racing stable to Kentucky.

“Gary was like my second or third client,” recalled Davis. “They were transitioning from California and for whatever reason, they gave me an opportunity. It has been a really good relationship over the years. He's about the easiest client to deal with. It's all about the horse and you don't really get pressured into running if they're not right. You just do your job, take care of the horse, and hopefully it'll work out.”

Davis admitted that there was an initial struggle when he had to move his stable following the closing of Arlington Park, but he credits some of his stable's recent success to his adapting to the new circuit.

“I think we're placing horses better,” he said. “We always did well in Chicago because I just kind of had better stock than the local people up there. Horses that couldn't make it in Kentucky would come to me in Chicago and they would be standouts. When Arlington was shutting down, I had to make that transition to Kentucky and it was a big learning curve. I had to revamp my thinking and placing of some of these horses. The water is so much deeper in Kentucky. You're running for big, big money and people are going to be aggressive. It's tough to win races in Kentucky.”

While he does maintain a small string at Palm Meadows in Florida, Davis said that this year he has focused on racing at Turfway rather than shifting to Gulfstream during the winter racing season.

“For whatever reason I'm really comfortable training on synthetic,'” he explained. “That Tapeta up there has been nothing but flawless and my horses transition to the dirt really well. I had the best dirt season probably of my career last year and all the horses trained on the synthetic.”

With a promising colt on the Kentucky Derby trail, it's possible that 2025 might just be Davis's best year yet.

“No kidding,” he said with a chuckle. “But it's just great to be in the game.”

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