Essential Quality has five rivals in Jim Dandy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The goals are bigger the second half of the year for Essential Quality than Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes, but trainer Brad Cox believes his Belmont Stakes winner is ready to pick up where he left off eight weeks ago.

Essential Quality, who outlasted Hot Rod Charlie in a stirring stretch duel to win the Belmont on June 5, was one of six 3-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Jim Dandy, the local stepping-stone at Saratoga to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 28.

“Our main goal this summer is the Travers. We’ll see how things go in the Jim Dandy but I certainly do feel like he’s as good now as he’s been,” Cox said. “His weight, his attitude, the way he’s eating is just really good.”

Essential Quality, a son of Tapit owned by Godolphin Racing, didn’t get much of a break following the Belmont, his fourth race of the season. He was back on the work tab three weeks later.

Essential Quality finished fourth, one length behind Medina Spirit in the Kentucky Derby following wins in the Blue Grass and Southwest Stakes earlier in the year.

Essential Quality has breezed three times over Saratoga’s main track, the last two with his regular rider Luis Saez aboard. Cox noted after last Saturday’s workout that Saez was happy with how the horse felt and got over the surface.

“We’re looking for a good race out of him, an opportunity for him to get a feel for the surface over there, and hopefully he’ll have some gas in the tank for four weeks later,” Cox said.

Essential Quality’s competition is: Masqueparade, winner of the Grade 3 Ohio Derby; Weyburn, runner-up to Mandaloun in the Grade 3 Pegasus and winner of the Grade 3 Gotham earlier in the year; Keepmeinmind, third in the Ohio Derby; Dr Jack, third in the Pegasus; and Risk Taking, winner of the Grade 3 Withers at Aqueduct in February.

Weyburn and Keepmeinmind get notable rider changes to Irad Ortiz Jr, and Joel Rosario, respectively.