Augustin Stables' homebred Truly Quality became the first horse in a quarter century to win back-to-back runnings of the Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) when he rallied to score a 1 3/4-length victory Nov. 28 at Del Mar.
Trained by Jonathan Thomas and ridden by Mirco Demuro, the 5-year-old Quality Road gelding was bet to 1.90-1 favoritism in a field of nine Saturday going 1 1/2 miles on a firm turf course for a $202,000 purse.
He was in seventh place after front-running Balladeer opened up on the lead through a half-mile in :48.86. Demuro and Truly Quality made an early, wide move as the field entered the backstretch a second time. That sharp advance moved him all the way up to third place as the leader went a mile in 1:40.05.
With the front-runners in striking range, Demuro waited until the field approached the final stretch before asking his mount for his best. Reiquist, who had been stalking the leader from second most of the way, briefly grabbed the lead at the quarter pole, but Truly Quality was in full flight to his outside and moving best of all.
Truly Quality took command of the race with about a furlong remaining and crossed the wire clear of the field.
Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Nicolas G. Drion, and Mathilde Powell's Flashiest rallied to finish second after being shuffled at a key moment at the top of the far turn. The stewards called an inquiry and looked at the incident that loosely involved the top four finishers and sixth-place Grogu, but they decided against making any changes. At the wire it was another head back to Stepaside Farm's Nineeleventurbo in third place, who outfinished fourth-place Reiquist by another head.
The winner's final time on the firm course was 2:29.67. The last horse win back-to-back editions of the race was the Argentine import Lazy Lode in 1998-99 back when the race was a grade 1. It was demoted to its current grade 2 status in 2012, and in 2014 was moved from Hollywood Park to Del Mar.
Truly Quality had only run twice since his 2024 Turf Cup victory. Sixth in the San Marcos Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park in his 2025 debut in February, he rallied late to finish fourth, beaten just a half-length, last out in the Aug. 30 Del Mar Handicap (G2T). Thomas removed the blinkers from Truly Quality's equipment Saturday.
Augustin Stables founder George Strawbridge Jr. bred Truly Quality in Kentucky out of his grade 3-placed Smart Strike mare Truly Together, also the dam of grade 2 winner Mouffy, by Uncle Mo. Truly Quality's second dam is Augustin's 2008 champion grass mare Forever Together.
Truly Quality improved his record to 6-4-3 from 16 starts with the win. He has earned $637,495.
He is the seventh graded stakes winner of 2025 for his sire Quality Road, who stands in Kentucky at Lane's End. His 2026 stud fee has been set at $100,000.
