Essential Quality

Essential Quality made his first start on September 5, 2020 in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs over six furlongs. He settled in the middle of the pack behind a fast early pace set by Copa. He improved position around the turn but ran into traffic at the head of the stretch. Angled to the outside, he found racing room and closed well to win by three lengths.[7]

For his next start, Cox stepped him up in class in the Grade I Breeders' Futurity Stakes at Keeneland on October 3. Despite his lack of experience, Essential Quality was made the 2-1 favorite in the field of nine. He rated just off the early pace set by Upstriker, then took the lead rounding the final turn. He drew away down the stretch to beat the late-closing Keepmeinmind by ​3 ¹⁄₄ lengths. Cox credited new jockey Luis Saez with getting the colt to relax. "He's a very green horse," said Cox. "That was my concern today — could he put it all together? And he did... If he can figure it out, he's a serious animal."[4][8]

The win earned Essential Quality an automatic entry in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, held on November 6 at Keeneland. In a field of 14, Essential Quality went off as the 7-2 second choice behind the undefeated Jackie's Warrior, winner of the Saratoga Special Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, and Champagne Stakes. Essential Quality broke poorly and bumped into Keepmeinmind to his outside, then settled into midpack. Jackie's Warrior pressed a fast early pace set by Dreamer's Disease then took the lead turning to the stretch. He was then joined by longshot Hot Rod Charlie, who briefly took the lead. Meanwhile, Essential Quality made a wide move on the final turn and slowly grained ground. With a furlong remaining, he switched leads and produced a closing burst to win by three-quarters of a length over Hot Rod Charlie, with Keepmeinmind closing late for third and Jackie's Warrior hanging on for fourth. "I had a perfect trip, a beautiful trip," said Saez. "I knew there was going to be a lot of speed so we were in the right spot. At the three-eighths [pole], he gave me that kick so I knew we had a chance to win the race. He can run all day."[5]

"It's so exciting to win any Breeders' Cup race, but when you have a 2-year-old colt that is a homebred... it's the cherry on top," said Jimmy Bell, the president of Godolphin's US operations. "So much of the farm staff was able to come over and watch because this is in our own backyard. That's where the joy is: in celebrating with people who put so much time in behind the scenes of all this. It made it so special to have the team here, and it's a tribute to Sheikh Mohammed and his overall breeding plan."[9]