Essential Quality

The first reported foals sired by dual Eclipse champion and Classic winner Essential Quality (Tapit) were foaled on Jan. 21 and Jan. 25 at Castleton Lyons and Taylor Made, respectively. Arriving first, the colt is out of the mare Double Jackpot (Broken Vow), dam of Grade III winner/Group I-placed Stays in Vegas (City Zip), who hails from the family of Phipps Stable standouts Heavenly Prize, Dancing Spree, Instilled Regard, etc. "He's a big, strong leggy colt with very good bone. A lot of substance about him," said Castleton Lyons General...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis LEXINGTON, KY -- The momentum from Monday's opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continued into the first session of Book 2 Tuesday in Lexington with a pair of mares bringing seven figures. "I would describe it as a solid day," said Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "Overall, we are very happy with the gross, very happy with the median and average being up over last year." During Tuesday's session, 197 horses sold for $35,073,000. The average of $178,036 was up...

Perennial top sire Medaglia d'Oro once again heads Darley's Jonabell Farm roster for 2023 with his fee remaining at $100,000, the same amount as 2022. Darley has also added two new stallions to the now-11 horse roster, including G1SW Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). Mystic Guide, who won the 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup, was retired earlier this year. He will stand for a fee of $15,000 in his initial season at stud. Speaker's Corner, a Godolphin homebred out of Tyburn Brook (Bernardini) who is bred...

Keeneland has cataloged 3,691 horses for its 79th November Breeding Stock Sale, which will begin Monday, Nov. 7 after Keeneland hosts the Breeders' Cup World Championships over the weekend prior. The sale runs through Wednesday, Nov. 16. Click here for the catalog for the sale, which features proven producers, broodmare prospects who were successful racehorses and royally bred weanlings. The catalog includes more than 1,800 broodmares and broodmare prospects and 1,523 weanlings. Print catalogs are to arrive the week of Oct. 17. "The euphoria of the recent record-breaking Keeneland September...

By B. Jason Brooks The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Selected Yearling Sale is less than two weeks away and potential buyers are marking up their sales catalogs while researching the accomplished families of those being offered. At the 2019 Saratoga Sale, four yearlings tracing back to Phipps foundation mare Blitey sold for a collective $4.05 million, one of them being an undefeated Tapit colt named Flightline who has become a multiple Grade I superstar. Thoroughbred Daily News columnist and pedigree expert Sid Fernando recently noted in story that the Phipps female "families...

Impressive GIII Sanford S. victor Mo Strike was the first Brad Cox-trained 2-year-old to make it to the winner's circle at Saratoga this year, but the son of Uncle Mo probably won't be the last. At last year's meet, Cox saddled five juveniles winners at the Spa, including the future multiple stakes-winning filly Bubble Rock (More Than Ready). In recent years, the Cox barn's arsenal of talented 2-year-olds has rapidly developed in terms of both quality and quantity. While many of the stable's runners have reached future success alongside their...

"The Derby gods." It's a device that tells us rather more about us than them. We know there's no such thing, really; and that if they did exist, they would find sadistic satisfaction in stringing us along in the delusion that they will ultimately even out their torments and benedictions, only to let the ground fall away beneath us just as we reach for the stars. But that's actually how our way of life-inherently so frivolous, just a herd of ponies running round in circles-connects us with the fundamentals of...

Recipients of the 2021 KTOB Kentucky-Bred Champion awards were voted on by the full membership of KTA/KTOB and revealed Wednesday. In existence since 1967 and 1983, respectively, the KTOB and KTA direct their efforts toward promoting and protecting the Thoroughbred industry by maintaining the highest levels of racing, breeding and training standards in the Commonwealth. Here are the 2021 Kentucky-Bred Champions and their breeders: • Broodmare of the Year: Indian Miss (Owner: OXO Equine LLC) • Horse of the Year, Three-Year-Old Male: Essential Quality (Godolphin) • Two-Year-Old Male: Corniche (Bart...

With the 2022 breeding season underway, we continue to feature a series of breeders' mating plans. Today we have Leah Alessandroni, Bloodstock and Office Manager of Bonne Chance Farm. GLORY AND POWER (m, 8, Medaglia d'Oro - Dance Quietly, by A. P. Indy) to be bred to Essential Quality    We bought this mare as a weanling and she went on to become a winner for us. Her first foal was Momentous (Speightstown), who was an debut impressive winner at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19. This mare is out of...

Godolphin homebred Essential Quality (Tapit) was named an Eclipse Award champion for the second consecutive year, as last year's top juvenile male received champion 3-year-old male honors for a five-for-seven season that included victories in the GII Toyota Blue Grass S., GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. The Brad Cox trainee is starting his first year of stud duty at Darley. 

Brad Cox earned his first Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer in 2020—ending a four-year streak by Chad Brown—and he doubled up in 2021 thanks to the exploits of his many standouts, including Knicks Go (Paynter) and Essential Quality (Tapit). Cox's runners racked up a North American leading $31,832,345 in earnings last season, taking 269 trips to the winner's circle from 1025 starters (26%). 

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Barry Butzer of Sun Valley Farm. WILLA (m, 5, Will Take Charge--Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy), to be bred to Blame, and her half-sister KITTY (m, 3, Street Boss--Miss Kilroy, by A.P. Indy), to be bred to Union Rags Very lucky to have my dad at side the day Miss Kilroy strode into the ring at the 2009 January Keeneland Breeding Stock Sale, an 11-year-old...