Essential Quality, Vequist early Kentucky Derby, Oaks favorites

It’s a different game as soon as you add an extra turn. Neither were favored in their respective Breeders’ Cup races, but on Future Stars Friday it was Essential Quality and Vequist who had all the right stuff.

With clear-cut victories in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, the pair put their noses in front in their separate races for an Eclipse Award. And having proved themselves around two turns in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass, they became early favorites for the 2021 editions of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks.

Of the two, perhaps it was Essential Quality who came as less of a surprise than his female counterpart. The unbeaten son of Tapit entered the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile off an easy win in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on the same track and distance as he found on Friday. He was sent off as a clear second choice in the 14-horse field, but still there was Jackie’s Warrior to deal with.

A winner of his first four races in sensational fashion, the Steve Asmussen trained speedster was made a heavy 9-10 favorite. Making his first start around two turns, though, he displayed the first chink in his armor on Friday.

Chasing fast early fractions, Jackie’s Warrior was able to forge to the lead at the head of the stretch, but it was short lived. The added distance and the swift pace left him with little fight left down the stretch, and the big favorite could only manage to hold on for a fourth-place finish. I have little doubt that we will hear plenty more from the son of Maclean’s Music, but this edition of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was all about Essential Quality.

Finding a good position in mid-pack and on the outside, the Godolphin homebred steadily moved up on the turn. By the time they hit the stretch, he was in fourth and bearing down on the leaders. Long shot Hot Rod Charlie, who had taken over the lead from Jackie’s Warrior, was game, but Essential Quality’s rally was resolute.

Following his win in the Breeders’ Futurity, which was only his second career start, his rider Luis Saez remarked that Essential Quality was green but loaded with ability. In his third career start, he looked like a more mature horse already.

The winner showed enough early speed to be perfectly placed into the first turn and down the backstretch and was patient enough to wait for his rider to ask him for his best run on the turn. Down the stretch, he leveled off beautifully and always looked like he had the leader measured in the short Keeneland stretch.

Now perfect in three career starts, Essential Quality has all the markings of a horse who should only get better for trainer Brad Cox. He’s versatile with his running style and is bred to handle distance asked of him.

Vequist, meanwhile, is another who seems to appreciate the distance. After chasing in vain behind Dayoutoftheoffice in the one-turn Frizette in her most recent start, the daughter of Freshman sire Nyquist was sent off as the 6-1 fifth choice in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, facing a field loaded with impressive unbeatens.

Breaking from the 2 hole, she was able to sit a good stalking trip from the rail with moderate early fractions behind the Frizette winner. Vequist stayed down on the rail and in touch under rider Joel Rosario until the field turned for home.

Dayoutoftheoffice didn’t give her much room to rally up the inside, but Vequist moved into the hole like a very confident young filly and had plenty in the tank to power by the early leader on her way to a two-length score. Finishing fast, the Parx-based filly's final time of 1:42.30 was only one-fifth of a second behind what Essential Quality would turn in a few races later.

She probably found a little luck in this race when one of her main rivals, Simply Ravishing, broke a beat slowly from the rail. But in the end, it was Vequist who clearly was running best.

After her romping victory in the Grade 1 Spinaway two starts back at Saratoga, her trainer Butch Reid said she was always going to improve with distance. That sentiment rang true two months later at Keeneland.

Like Essential Quality, she is now a two-time Grade 1 winner. She also has run well in all of her four starts.

Distance, and that second turn, were key for both Essential Quality and Vequist on Friday. They each likely won a championship through their respective Breeders’ Cup victories. That appreciation for a route of ground also should set them up quite nicely as the calendar turns to 2021 and we look ahead to the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks.