Grade 1, $400,000 Breeders’ Futurity, 1 1/16 miles, Keeneland, Oct. 3, 2020 (10 Derby qualifying points for a win, 4 for second, 2 for third, 1 for fourth) Winner: Essential Quality, by Tapit Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Luis Saez Owner: Godolphin LLC Beyer Speed Figure: 88 ESSENTIAL QUALITY was an eye-catching winner of his debut on the Kentucky Derby undercard Sept. 5, overcoming significant traffic trouble to win going six furlongs. The fig was moderate (69), and even though he has a route pedigree, it seemed to be asking a lot for him to go straight into a two-turn, Grade 1 stakes race and perform well. But perform well he did, earning a Beyer fig that places him among the top members of the class at the moment. One of the knocks with Tapit offspring is that they can sometimes get too wound up, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses. Good spacing between starts is always beneficial with these types. He was able to have four weeks from his debut to this race, and it’s five weeks to his next scheduled start, the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2021: Point standings, prep schedule, news, and more In this race, Essential Quality broke well and was forwardly placed, in the three path around the first turn. He gradually turned up the heat on pacesetting UPSTRIKER going down the backstretch while appearing eager to do more, took control midway on the far turn, was a bit late to change leads in upper stretch, but opened up a commanding lead early in the lane and was never threatened thereafter. He paddles pretty widely with his left front. KEEPMEINMIND, who finished second, was shuffled back a sixteenth of a mile into the race, then dropped to the rail around the first turn to save ground while near the back of the pack. He raced in traffic while between rivals down the backstretch while following Essential Quality, was out-footed early on the far turn and lost position, dropped down to the rail and began to gain anew, switched out in upper stretch and bumped with SUPER STOCK, and kept on motoring to gain the place. Not a bad effort for a horse who was making his second start and is still winless, so does that mean he’s a better-than-average maiden, or is that an indictment of the field? Super Stock, who was third, used his rail draw to save ground around the first turn while following Upstriker, was a bit keen just before turning into the backstretch, then settled down nicely. He stayed in the same spot down the backstretch, was out-footed by Essential Quality when asked to go midway on the far turn, didn’t change leads in upper stretch until bumped by Keepmeinmind, swapped back to his wrong lead in deep stretch, and flattened out. This was his first try around two turns, but he’s had five starts already, so not sure how significant the upside is here. Upstriker, who was fourth, was exiting a debut sprint win in which he was prominent throughout, and showed good speed again here, leading into the first turn, with Essential Quality closest. His advantage narrowed during the run down the backstretch, and though he hung in there bravely with Essential Quality around the far turn, he was clearly the inferior animal, and by the time he got to the top of the lane he was tiring. He too was late to change leads, but he continued to fade and was beaten 9 1/4 lengths. FOUNDER, who was fifth, was bumped between rivals early, went into the first turn in the three path, then got shuffled back a bit heading around that turn. He was taken to the middle of the track down the backstretch and wound up trying to rally in the four path on the far turn, then ducked out while changing leads approaching the top of the stretch to come into the lane about six paths wide. He swapped to his left lead while racing greenly in upper stretch, swapped back to his correct lead, and still couldn’t catch the tiring Upstriker. He may be a longer-term project. DIXIE’S TWO STENTS and CALIBRATE dead-heated for sixth. Dixie’s Two Stents broke slowly and was well back of his rivals early, continued to trail all the way to the top of the lane while saving ground, got through inside, but never was a factor whatsoever. Calibrate was squeezed back between rivals heading to the first turn, then was angled in and went around the first turn in the two path while between horses. He was shuffled back early on the backstretch and raced alongside Founder for much of the backstretch run, was pushed along in the three path on the far turn but couldn’t make up any ground, came into the lane about four lanes wide but never was involved. KING FURY, who was eighth, couldn’t get over from his wide draw and went into the first turn toward the back half of the field while four lanes wide. He moved closer while in the middle of the track down the backstretch, made a mild gain initially on the far turn while three to four paths wide, but lost his punch before reaching the top of the stretch and retreated. NOTARY, who finished last of nine, went into the first turn between Upstriker and Essential Quality, then eased outside them to take up an ideal stalking position entering the backstretch. When asked to quicken on the far turn, though, he had no response, and quickly dropped back between rivals.