Essential Quality putting together strong first book of mares

When the Eclipse Awards are presented Thursday night at Santa Anita, Essential Quality will be spending a quiet evening at his birthplace, Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., while continuing to prepare for his upcoming first season at stud, with breeding sheds set to open in the coming week in Kentucky.

Essential Quality is seeking to add to an already glittering trophy case of accomplishments. The winner of the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to secure a divisional Eclipse, he added five graded stakes to his résumé in 2021, including the Belmont and Travers stakes, to make himself a finalist for champion 3-year-old male.

Essential Quality, who has Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail on his pedigree page, has already assembled a star-filled first book of mares as he embarks on his second career. The son of Tapit is North America’s most expensive new stallion, at an advertised fee of $75,000.

“He has been very popular, as you might expect,” Darley sales manager Darren Fox said. “Keeping him at his target number of mares certainly won’t be easy, but he is on track to cover a high-caliber first book. As a result [of being from Contrail’s family], there has been some interest from Japan. Being a champion 2-year-old and being by Tapit, after Frosted’s fast start in Australia, could offer some appeal Down Under.”

Essential Quality’s first book has been reported to include American standouts such as Kentucky Oaks winner Believe You Can, along with fellow Grade 1 winners American Story, Artemis Agrotera, Centre Court, Concrete Rose, Panty Raid, Red Lark, Romantic Vision, Seventh Street, and Wedding Toast, several of whom raced in the Godolphin blue. Notable producers set to visit the stallion include Baffled, dam of Grade 1 winner and young classic sire Constitution; and graded stakes winner Lady Shipman, dam of two-time Breeders’ Cup winner Golden Pal.

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In other noteworthy bookings for the upcoming breeding season:

◗ Eclipse Award champion Gamine will visit Quality Road, who stands at Lane’s End Farm, for her first mating, according to bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, who selected the mare as a juvenile for owner Michael Lund Petersen.

Gamine, who is boarded at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, won five Grade 1 races, including the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint to secure her divisional title.

◗ Three-time Grade 1 winner Got Stormy will be bred to Yaupon for her first mating, a major get for the first-year stallion.

Spendthrift Farm purchased Got Stormy, who won 10 stakes, for $2.75 million at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale and campaigned her this past season with MyRacehorse. Yaupon, by Uncle Mo, won four stakes, including the Grade 1 Forego last August before injury forced his retirement to Spendthrift.

“We think it’s a great way to start off her career, and a great way to help Yaupon start,” Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey said in a video produced for MyRacehorse.

◗ Cartier Award and Eclipse Award champion Enable will be bred to Darley’s internationally successful sire Dubawi this season, her owner-breeder Juddmonte Farm announced. Enable, the only horse to ever win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and Breeders’ Cup Turf in the same season, is due to deliver her first foal, by fellow European Horse of the Year Kingman, in the coming month.