ftboa.com • Saturday & Sunday • June 5 & 6, 2021 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION FLORIDA’SDAILYRACINGDIGEST Essential Quality, In This Issue: State Approves FTBOA Request to Rombauer Top Increase Breeder & Stallion Awards Competitive Speed Seeks Rebound Balanced Belmont Field Florida-bred Filly Fastest at OBS BY BRIAN BOHL, Ortiz Jr. Injured in Spill at Belmont NYRA PRESS OFFICE _____ Con Lima Stalks and Pounces to Victory ELMONT, NY—A talented group that includes an Eclipse Change of Control Kicks Off Festival Award winner and an American Classic victor will comprise an Robbing Robin Winner for Ocala Stud eight-horse field for the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 Two Square Off in Woody Stephens million Belmont Stakes pre- TB Racing Economic Indicators sented by NYRA Bets on Saturday at Belmont Park, Gulfstream Park Charts marking the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. Florida Stallion Progeny List Saturday’s loaded 13-race card will feature nine graded Florida Breeders’ List stakes and eight Grade 1 con- tests, including three Breeders’ Wire to Wire Business Place Cup “Win and You’re In” races in the $1 million Hill ‘N’ Dale Featured Advertisers Metropolitan Handicap for 3- Berrettini Feed year-olds and older that includes a BC Dirt Mile invite; Covert Appraisal Services Florida Department of Agriculture the $500,000 Ogden Phipps Essential Quality/COADY PHOTO Fred Burton Paving (BC Distaff) for fillies and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the mares 4-years-old and older; and the Belmont Stakes has returned to its usual FTBOA $400,000 Jackpocket Jaipur (BC Turf spot on the calendar following the Journeyman Stud Sprint) for 3-year-olds and older on the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply turf. Reserve (G1) and the Preakness (G1). It Ocala Stud The Belmont Stakes is carded as Race also will be contested again at its famed 11 with a post time of 6:49 p.m. EDT. NBC Peterson Smith Equine Hospital mile-and-a-half distance going once RiceHorse Stable will have live coverage starting at 5:00 around Big Sandy and in front of live spec- p.m. EDT. First post Saturday at Belmont tators. Seminole Feed is 11:35 a.m. EDT. Those fans will get to see a field that Showcase Properties After a schedule adjustment last year Six K’s Training & Sales See BELMONT on page 3 Back to Top Page 3 Belmont Continued from COVER includes Godolphin’s Essential Quality, who won last year’s Grade 1 Breeders Futurity and the TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile present- ed by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) en route to locking up champion 2-year-old colt honors and garnering an Eclipse Award for conditioner Brad Cox as champion trainer. Essential Quality, the 2-1 morning-line favorite, started his career five-for-five, notch- ing four graded stakes scores, including the Grade 3 Southwest in February at Oaklawn Park and the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass in April at Keeneland to start his sopho- more campaign. The Tapit colt ran a competitive fourth in the Kentucky Derby in his lone non-winning effort but still tal- lied a career-high 100 Beyer Speed Figure for finishing one length shy of winning Florida- bred Medina Spirit. “He ran what I thought was Luis Saez/COADY PHOTO a winning race in the Derby; he didn’t have the trip, but he showed up and he’s been improving in every start,” Cox said. “I’m confident that he can handle the mile and a half. Just based off his works and his races, he’s very steady and doesn’t seem to get tired. He has a tremendous amount of stamina that I think he was just blessed with based on his pedi- gree.” Cox will be saddling his first starter in the Belmont Stakes. See BELMONT on page 5 Florida-breds Make Florida Racing Did you know Florida-bred thoroughbreds won 31.5% of races run at the recent Gulfstream Park Championship Meet? This demonstrates how vital Florida-breds are to the success of Gulfstream Park throughout the year—not just during the Spring/Summer season. Additional good news for Florida breeders—66% of those Florida-bred winners during the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet were sired by Florida stallions. Florida-breds: Race ‘Em or Chase ‘Em! Back to Top Back to Top Page 5 Belmont page 3 Continued from Essential Quality drew post two and will again have the serv- ices of jockey Luis Saez, who will be looking to win his first American Classic. Saez’s closest finish in a Triple Crown race came in 2018 when Bravazo was the Preakness runner-up. Essential Quality is out of Delightful Quality, by Elusive Quality and he has won five of six career starts with earnings of $2,415,144. John and Diane Fradkin’s homebred Rombauer enters off his impressive three-and-a-half-length win in the mile-and-three-six- teenths Preakness on May 15 at Pimlico Race Course and will look to become the first horse to complete the Belmont- Preakness Double since Florida-bred Afleet Alex in 2005 [both American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 were victorious in all three legs to become the 12th and 13th respective Triple Crown winners]. Rombauer, who won the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby in February on the Golden Gate Tapeta, has already earned a repu- tation as a versatile threat, posting wins on dirt, turf and synthetic surfaces while earning stakes placing at four different racetracks, including second to Get Her Number in the Grade 1 American Pharoah in September and third in the Blue Grass in his final tuneup before the Preakness. “He's a well put-together horse. He's well balanced,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He's not overly big. His mechanics are great and he's a horse that when you lead him over there, he has his mind on running. I think his best weapon is what's in between his ears.” Rombauer/MATT WOOLEY/EQUISPORT PHOTO See BELMONT on page 7 # 9 C. Khozan o/o Verso a Verso # 355 F. Lookin at Lucky o/o Giant’s Accent # 17 F. American Freedom o/o Visions of Candy F. Maclean’s Music o/o Ginza # 75 F. Karakonite (JPN) o/o Alexandrite # 356 C. Flat Out o/o Million Gift ( JPN) # 137 F. Valiant Minister o/o Birthday Suit # 546 F. Tonalist o/o Rapid Rhythm # 246 C. American Freedom o/o Deep in December # 683 Back to Top Back to Top Page 7 Belmont page 5 Continued from and three thirds from eight starts and earnings of $1,305,700. Flavien Prat rode Rombauer in his Preakness win but will have Prat, who rode Hot Rod Charlie in the Kentucky Derby before the call on Hot Rod Charlie in the Belmont Stakes. McCarthy did- winning the Preakness aboard Rombauer, will have the return call n’t have to scour the country for a qualified rider, as Hall of Famer from post four at 7-2 odds. The last jockey to win two legs of the and two-time Belmont Stakes-winner John Velazquez will provide Triple Crown with different horses was Hall of Famer Calvin his expertise, breaking from post three. Borel in 2009 with Mine That Bird [Kentucky Derby] and Rachel Rombauer is listed at 3-1 on the morning line. He is by Alexandra [Preakness]. Twirling Candy out of Cashmere, by Cowboy Cal and he has won Pletcher, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this sum- three of seven starts and $890,500. mer, will saddle three contenders as he seeks his fourth career Hot Rod Charlie ran a strong third, just one length back to win- Belmont score, having previously won the white carnations with ner Medina Spirit, in the Kentucky Derby. Trainer Doug O’Neill Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013), and Tapwrit (2017). said the son of Oxbow out of Indian Miss, by Indian Charlie St. Elias Stable’s Known Agenda, ninth in the Kentucky Derby should be fresh after skipping the Preakness and is optimistic he has won going two turns, including a two-and three-quarters- can handle the famed 12-furlong distance after netting a personal- length victory in the mile-and-one-eighth Curlin Florida Derby best 100 Beyer for his effort in the mile-and-one-quarter Run for presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm at Xalapa (G1) in March that pre- the Roses that marked Hot Rod Charlie’s longest race so far, build- ceded his Derby appearance. ing on his two-length score in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby in Known Agenda, the son of Hall of Famer Curlin, is 6-1 on the March at Fair Grounds that secured his spot in the Kentucky morning line. Derby. Irad Ortiz Jr. was scheduled to ride Known Agenda but suf- “With the distance, I think it will suit him well,” O’Neill said. fered a spill at Belmont Park Thursday that will force him to miss “He’s won going a mile-and-three-sixteenths in the Louisiana the Belmont Stakes. According to a tweet sent by his brother, Jose Derby. I think his gate speed and versatility will be an asset as Ortiz, late Thursday night, Irad Ortiz should resume racing in the well.” coming weeks. Owned by Roadrunner Racing, Boat Racing, Strauss Bros No rider had been named on Known Agenda, who has post six Racing and Gainesway Thoroughbreds, Hot Rod Charlie will get in the Belmont, at press time.