Another Saturday at Saratoga Race Course.
Another champion or would-be champion bet down to miniscule odds.
Another upset?
A week after the previously undefeated and 3-10 favorite Malathaat suffered her first loss in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga, another heavy favorite will headline the July 31 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds, a $600,000 Spa test named after the horse who beat Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox in the 1930 Travers Stakes at 100-1 odds.
In Saturday's 58th edition of the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy, the Graveyard of Champions will find a worthy adversary in Godolphin's homebred Essential Quality .
The son of Tapit was the undefeated champion 2-year-old male a year ago and in four starts at 3 for trainer Brad Cox, his lone loss was a fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). Since that May 1 setback by only a length, Essential Quality won the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) to regain his top ranking among the leading 3-year-olds at the end of a Triple Crown season that produced three different winners.
Unraced since his classic victory at Belmont Park, Essential Quality will debut at Saratoga in a race where he should be quite popular at the betting windows while prepping for the far more coveted $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) Aug. 28 at the Spa, which will have a major say in determining the 3-year-old champion. Given those circumstances, Godolphin's grade 1 winner at 2 and 3 holds a decided class edge over his five rivals, but the specter of having a bigger prize in the background and Saratoga's storied history of tripping up champions adds an element of intrigue well-known to fans of the Victorian era racetrack.
"There's always concern when racing against top company," said Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin USA. "Certainly Saratoga has seen its fair share of heavy favorites be beaten, but we're very optimistic regarding Essential Quality's chances in the Jim Dandy."
Essential Quality has been training sharply for his first race in eight weeks since he edged clear of Hot Rod Charlie in the final yards to take the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes in a stellar effort that explains why the son of the Elusive Quality mare Delightful Quality will be very tough to beat Saturday—even at Saratoga.
"He came out of the Belmont in great shape and Brad has been pleased with all of his preparations so far," Bell said about the winner of six of seven starts with earnings of $3,215,144.
With a résumé that includes victories in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1), TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), and Toyota Blue Grass (G2) Essential Quality is surely the standout in a small field that includes several proven graded stakes competitors.
FTGGG's Racing's Masqueparade ran on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs but instead of contesting the main event, he turned in a dazzling performance in an allowance optional claimer, romping by 11 3/4 lengths at 1 1/8 miles. Off that eye-opening performance, trainer Al Stall Jr. entered the son of Upstart in a stakes for the first time and was rewarded with a half-length victory in the June 26 Ohio Derby (G3).
"We feel good about him," Stall said. "We always thought he had potential, though the Derby Day race caught us off guard so we tried the Ohio Derby. He was running comfortably there and then opened up and held off the three graded stakes winners (King Fury, Keepmeinmind , and Promise Keeper) that came at him in the stretch. I thought that under the circumstances that was as good of a race as he could run."
Stall admits his 3-year-old is facing a tall task against Essential Quality, but, hey, it is Saratoga.
"It's definitely a one-horse race right now, but it's Saratoga and we'll do the best we can," Stall said. "I'm not worried about Essential Quality running off the screen like a champion. If that happens, so be it."
Chiefswood Stables' Weyburn should be involved in the early pace along with Masqueparade. The Ontario-bred son of Pioneerof the Nile trained by Jimmy Jerkens, son of the late "Giant Killer" Allen Jerkens, is coming off a game second behind Mandaloun in the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park, losing by a neck. He made quite a splash on the 3-year-old scene winning the March 6 Gotham Stakes (G3) by a nose over Crowded Trade at 46-1 odds. After that, he was fourth in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2).
The graded stakes winners in the field also include Cypress Creek Equine, Arnold Bennewith, and Spendthrift Farm's Keepmeinmind, who won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at 2, but is winless in five starts at 3 since then. The son of Laoban trained by Robertino Diodoro was third in the Ohio Derby, missing second by a nose.
Klaravich Stables' grade 3 winner Risk Taking, a son of Medaglia d'Oro , will try to get back on track after finishing eighth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and seventh in the Wood Memorial as the 2-1 favorite for trainer Chad Brown.
Rounding out the field is Harrell Ventures' Dr Jack, a Pioneerof the Nile colt who was third for trainer Todd Pletcher in the Pegasus, 2 1/2 lengths behind Weyburn, in his third career start.
The Jim Dandy will be the ninth of 11 races Saturday, with a post time of approximately 5:39 p.m.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 31, 2021, Race 9Entries: Jim Dandy S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Dr Jack (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1 2 2Masqueparade (KY) Miguel Mena 120 Albert M. Stall, Jr. 4/1 3 3Weyburn (ON) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 James A. Jerkens 6/1 4 4Keepmeinmind (KY) Joel Rosario 120 Robertino Diodoro 6/1 5 5Essential Quality (KY) Luis Saez 124 Brad H. Cox 1/2 6 6Risk Taking (KY) Manuel Franco 120 Chad C. Brown 15/1
