Champion Essential Quality draws post No. 4 in Blue Grass

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Godolphin’s undefeated homebred Essential Quality, the champion 2-year-old male of 2020, is the 3-5 morning line choice in a field of nine 3-year-olds entered Tuesday for Saturday’s 97th running of the $800,000 Blue Grass (G2) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track.

A major steppingstone for the $3 million Kentucky Derby to be run May 1 at Churchill Downs, the Blue Grass offers 170 points toward qualification to this year’s Derby on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers. The Derby is limited to the top 20 point earners that pass the entry box.

The Blue Grass will go as the final race on Saturday’s 11-race program with a 6:35 p.m. (ET) post time. First post time for the card that features six graded stakes is 1:05 p.m.

Trained by Brad Cox, Essential Quality debuted Sept. 5 at Churchill on Kentucky Derby Day and followed that 6-furlong triumph with victories in Keeneland’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) to sew up the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old.

In his lone start of 2021, Essential Quality won the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park by 4¼ lengths on Feb. 27.

On Tuesday morning, Essential Quality made his first appearance on the Keeneland main track since his Breeders’ Cup victory. He galloped about 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Elver Vargas.

Luis Saez, who has been aboard for Essential Quality’s past three victories, has the mount Saturday and will break from post position four. Saez won the 2016 Blue Grass on Brody’s Cause.

“Post position, it’s important," Cox said. "But I feel comfortable in the 4 hole. Obviously Luis (Saez) is on him, and he knows what to do away from there. We’re in a good spot with him. Very happy with where he is mentally, physically. And the post is fine.”

Brody’s Cause is the most recent of four horses to complete the Breeders’ Futurity-Blue Grass double. The others are Carpe Diem (2014-2015), Dullahan (2011-2012) and Round Table (1956-1957).

The second choice at 7-2 on Mike Battaglia’s morning line is Klaravich Stables’ Highly Motivated.

Trained by Chad Brown and to be ridden by Javier Castellano, Highly Motivated returns to Keeneland, where he won the Nyquist on the Breeders’ Cup’s Future Stars Friday undercard. Third in the Gotham (G3) in his 2021 debut, Highly Motivated will break from post position three.

Brown and Castellano will be seeking their second Blue Grass victories. Brown saddled Good Magic for the 2018 triumph and a year later, Castellano rode Vekoma to victory.

A co-third choice at 8-1 on the morning line is Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith and Spendthrift Farm’s Keepmeinmind.

Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Keepmeinmind returns to Keeneland, where he ran second to Essential Quality in the Breeders’ Futurity and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He closed 2020 by scoring his first win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Sixth in the Rebel (G2) in his 2021 debut, Keepmeinmind will be ridden Saturday by David Cohen and break from post nine.

"I like it," Diodoro said of the post position. "I like being outside rather than inside; he’s a big horse.”

Keepmeinmind is scheduled to arrive at Keeneland Wednesday night from Oaklawn Park.

Also at 8-1 is Team Valor International’s Untreated, a recent maiden winner at Tampa Bay Downs who will break from post two under Joel Rosario. Rosario won the 2011 Blue Grass on Brilliant Speed.

“You always want to be toward the middle," said Barry Irwin of Team Valor. "We’re going to be in the back part of the race anyway, so hopefully it won’t have an impact on him."

Three-time winner Todd Pletcher trains Untreated. Pletcher’s Blue Grass winners are Bandini (2005), Monba (2008) and Carpe Diem (2015).

In addition to Saez, Rosario and Castellano, Rafael Bejarano will be seeking another Blue Grass victory.

Bejarano will be aboard BBN Racing’s Hidden Stash (20-1) and break from post one. Trained by Vicki Oliver, Hidden Stash finished third in the Sam F. Davis (G3) and second in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) in his two starts of 2021.

In addition to Brown and Pletcher, one other trainer will attempt to add to his Blue Grass victory totals.

Dale Romans, who will sent out Sittin On Go (30-1) for Albaugh Family Stables, has won the race twice with Dullahan and Brody’s Cause. Corey Lanerie has the mount on the winner of the Iroquois (G3) last September and will break from post position eight.