National Treasure very different from sire Quality Road
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Quality Road sired his first winner of a Triple Crown race when National Treasure, under a savvy ride from John Velazquez, was game on the lead to win the Preakness Stakes. Velazquez was also Quality Road’s regular rider, piloting him to seven career graded stakes wins. Like father, like son?
“Totally different,” Velazquez said.
“Quality Road was, right from the beginning, a horse that knew what he wanted to do, right from a very young age,” he said. “I think National Treasure is still finding himself. . . . Quality Road, right from the get-go, he knew what to do. He was a strong horse. You couldn’t mess with him. Even going to the gate, he didn’t want to be to be manhandled, if you will. And it was on his terms or nothing. He was very secure about himself at a very young age. And National Treasure is still a baby. Still finding his way, basically.”
Quality Road, who stands at Lane’s End Farm, is the sire of 2017 Kentucky Oaks winner and Eclipse Award champion Abel Tasman, a six-time Grade 1 winner.
Quality Road’s success as a classic sire is continuing to highlight the importance of another of Belmont Park’s signature events. The Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan Handicap has a history of being a stallion-making race because it showcases the brilliance that is so desired in the American market. Recent history has lived up to that reputation.
The Met Mile has been won through its century-plus of history by prominent stallions such as Tom Fool (1953), Native Dancer (1954), and Buckpasser (1967). A Grade 1 race since the North American graded-stakes system began in 1973, it has since been won then by prominent sires Tentam (1973), Cox’s Ridge (1978), Fappiano (1981), and Gulch (1987-88). More recent winners include successful sires such as Ghostzapper (2005) and Quality Road (2010).
The most recent winner of the Met Mile is Flightline, who went on to complete his career as an unbeaten Horse of the Year. His accomplishments garnered him a stud fee of $200,000, the highest in several years, when he retired to Lane’s End Farm this year.
The field for this year’s Met is led by Cody’s Wish, who is looking for his fourth consecutive Grade 1 win. A future stallion for Godolphin’s Darley banner, he is likely to be in demand as a son of Curlin.
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