Undefeated champion Essential Quality begins campaign in Southwest

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The undefeated champion Essential Quality will put his status as the early Kentucky Derby favorite on the line Saturday in the Grade 3, $750,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The mile and a sixteenth race will be Essential Quality’s first start at 3 and his first since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He’s part of a field of seven that includes Jackie’s Warrior, an Eclipse Awards finalist at 2, and Southern California shipper Spielberg, a Grade 2 winner who has recency on both horses.

The Southwest awards its first four finishers Kentucky Derby points on a scale of 10-4-2-1. The date of the race has been moved three times from its original Feb. 15 spot due to a winter storm. It will share a card with the Grade 3, $600,000 Razorback Handicap and the $200,000 Spring Fever.

Essential Quality, the 2-year-old male champion of 2020, arrived Wednesday from Fair Grounds, where he has prepped for his return. Following the Breeders’ Cup on Nov. 6, he remained in the stable of his trainer, Brad Cox, and kept a light training regimen.

“We never really shut him down,” Cox said. “The first week of December we put him back on a regular schedule, then right around Christmastime we started breezing him again in preparation for the 15th of February. So, I actually feel like we’re ahead of schedule because we’ve been postponing a few weeks. You can only train them so much. I feel like he’s ready to go for sure.”

Cox said the later date of the Southwest does not impact plans made with breeder and owner Godolphin to have two starts leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

“The next race, we do not know where we’re going, but this obviously is step one of a three-step process as far as getting to the Derby,” Cox said. “Right now, I think the Blue Grass and the Florida Derby could be options. Those are races that fit well on the calendar. The Arkansas Derby, three weeks before the Kentucky Derby, it would be in play. Everything is open right now. We’re just trying to get through this weekend.”

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Essential Quality has won all three of his starts, beginning with a maiden special weight over six furlongs last September at Churchill Downs. He proceeded to win the Breeders’ Futurity on the front end in October and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile from off the pace, both at Keeneland. Luis Saez, who was aboard for both of the Keeneland Grade 1 wins, has the mount. Essential Quality will break from the rail and could be somewhat prominent Saturday.

“It depends on how the race unfolds,” Cox said, “but I’m thinking he’s fresh, he’ll be forwardly placed. Probably not on the lead, but hopefully near it, a nice stalking trip, and can punch on down the lane.”

The field could be chasing Jackie’s Warrior. He showed brilliant speed when winning 4 of 5 starts last year, including the Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont Park with a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. His record made him the 4-5 favorite in the BC Juvenile. He finished fourth to Essential Quality.

“To me, I still can’t believe he got beat,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Jackie’s Warrior for J. Kirk and Judy Robison. “But he did.”

Following the race, Jackie’s Warrior had some downtime before beginning preparations for the Southwest.

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“He just got a little freshening and resumed training at the Fair Grounds,” Asmussen said. “He’s been his usual, steady, impressive self.”

Jackie’s Warrior, whose sire and dam were both notable sprint winners, made his first route start in the Breeders’ Cup. He gets another chance at two turns Saturday.

“He deserves the opportunity,” said Asmussen.

Asmussen said the horse is very rateable. He will break from post 4 under regular rider Joel Rosario.

“He’ll do anything you want him to do,” Asmussen said.

Spielberg won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December. He’s made one start since, finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis on Jan. 30 at Santa Anita.

“He’s a horse that’s never given me a full-out 100 percent effort yet,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “Last time, he never really picked up the bit, never got into it. Since then, he’s been training more aggressively, is more into his works. He looks healthy and all. It’s a tough path [but] the Southwest is a good spot to see how he handles the shipping and if he handles that we might have a chance.”

Martin Garcia has the mount from post 7.

The field also includes the maiden winners Saffa’s Day, Last Samurai, Santa Cruiser, and Woodhouse.

Attendance ontrack will be limited to those who have reservations due to the ongoing pandemic. The stakes Saturday are the first graded offerings of the Oaklawn meet.