Essential Quality

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 Taylor Made's Katie Taylor Whalen on behalf of Larry Best, owner of OXO Equine. Best retired two stallions to Taylor Made--GISW Instilled Regard (Arch) and GSW/GISP Instagrand (Into Mischief)--for their first seasons last year, with both represented by their first foals in 2022. A majority of his broodmare band, over 50 strong, will go to one of the two and are expecting foals by either...

'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit--Delightful Quality, by  Elusive Quality), a leading Eclipse Award finalist for champion 3-year-old colt, heads to the breeding shed with an impressive line-up of mares for his first season at stud at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky. The 2020 champion 2-year-old colt and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner continued to add to his loaded resume at three, capturing the GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S. He concluded his career with a third-place finish against his elders in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic. The...

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 John Greathouse III of Glencrest Farm. INCREDIBLE YOU (m, 4, Uncle Mo--Zoftig, by Cozzene), to be bred to Charlatan Incredible You is one of my best-bred mares. She is out of Zoftig, who successfully raced under the Glencrest colors before being sold and having an even better career as a broodmare. Incredible You is currently in foal to Authentic due at the end of January....

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 Aidan and Leah O'Meara of Stonehaven Steadings. VENETIAN SONATA (m, 13, Bernardini--Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City), to be bred to Curlin Bernardini's talents as a broodmare sire have been impressive but his strike rate with Curlin has been hugely impressive with nearly 20% stakes winners to date. That coupled with another stellar year at the track for Curlin made this mating an easy decision. Venetian...

With 84 winners from 479 North American starts, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Godolphin LLC amassed earnings of $17,403,204, to establish a new single-season record, according to statistics released Monday by Equibase Company LLC. The previous mark of $12.2 million was set in 2012 by Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Additionally, runners sent out by trainer Brad Cox earned a record $31,832,345 in 2021, narrowly surpassing the $31.1 set in 2019 by trainer Chad Brown. Leading the charge for Godolphin in 2021 was 'TDN Rising Star' Essential Quality (Tapit), a...

'TDN Rising Star' Famed (Uncle Mo), currently best known as the half-sister to champion Essential Quality (Tapit), looks to forge her own path as she takes on stakes company in the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Runner-up in her six-panel debut at Churchill Sept. 26, the dark bay broke through next out with a 7 3/4-length decision going seven furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 30. Famed will have to contend with impressive Rags to Riches S. winner Sandstone (Street Sense). Third behind next-out Debutante S. winner and stablemate...

Famed (Uncle Mo), likely best known as champion Essential Quality (Tapit)'s younger half-sister, began to make her own reputation with a 'TDN Rising Star' graduation at Keeneland in October and the Godolphin homebred could take another step towards living up to her name when she goes postward in the GII Golden Rod S. at Churchill Downs Saturday. Always well thought of by Sheikh Mohammed's operation, Famed's career nonetheless started with a defeat. The Brad Cox trainee was in the mix early as the 4-5 favorite in the six-furlong affair at...

It was a blustery autumn day last week when champion Essential Quality (Tapit - Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality) stepped out of his new stall in Darley's eminent stud barn to make his paces in front of onlooking breeders for his first stallion show, but the regally-bred grey didn't so much as bat an eye as the winds picked up and the surrounding crowd grew thicker. "I think what has been evident about Essential Quality from the get-go has been his class and his mind," said Darley's Sales Manager Darren...

Essential Quality (Tapit--Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality), last year's champion 2-year-old and winner of this year's GI Belmont S. and GI Runhappy Travers S., will begin his stud career next year at a fee of $75,000, Darley in America announced Sunday. Essential Quality concluded his racing career with a third-place effort in Saturday's GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. "His body of work is just tremendous: an Eclipse champion at two, a Classic winner at three, a son of Tapit with a fantastic female family," said Darley Sales Manager Darren Fox....

Now this, we can all agree, is just what a GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic should look like. Three of the first four in the Derby, albeit not the one that may ultimately be credited as winner. And besides resolving the questions left open by that processional race at Churchill, they must also pick up the gauntlet thrown down by an older horse whose plain running style should leave no stone of merit unturned. A race, in other words, commensurate with the biggest prize of the American Turf, with the...

DEL MAR, CA - Sunny skies, ideal conditions and two days of world-class Thoroughbred racing with a spectacular backdrop in Southern California. Welcome to the 38th Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar! The stunning seaside track plays Breeders' Cup host for the second time and first since 2017. 'Future Stars Friday' includes a highly anticipated clash of unbeaten 'TDN Rising Stars' Jack Christopher (Munnings) and $1.5-million OBS April topper Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Fellow 'Rising Star' Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) will also put her...

The TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland produced its third annual comprehensive Breeders' Cup preview show Wednesday, analyzing and handicapping all 14 World Championships races in depth, and welcomed trainer Wesley Ward later as the Green Group Guest of the Week to discuss his five combined Breeders' Cup starters in the GI Turf Sprint and GII Juvenile Turf Sprint and future goals for his barn. Asked whether he's happy with the niche he's carved out for himself as mainly an elite 2-year-old and turf sprint trainer or if he has...