A little less than a year ago, the Basie branch of the family of the important Phipps producer Stolen Base jetted into the spotlight thanks to Contrail ("Mares on Monday: Contrail Gets Into the Swing for Basie, 4/20/2020), who went from his victory in the Satsuka Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, JPN-G1) to sweep the Japanese Triple Crown while still unbeaten. He finally blemished his record---if one can call it a blemish---by running second to the magnificent mare Almond Eye in the 2020 Japan Cup (JPN-G1) but lost no honor in doing so and is currently preparing for his 4-year-old debut.
Among his close female relatives who was pinpointed as having a very good chance of coming up with something special in the near future was Grade 3-placed Delightful Quality, and so it has proved. By Elusive Quality out of the Storm Cat mare Contrive and, this, a half sister to 2005 American champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (by Tiznow), dam of Contrail's dam Rhodochrosite (by Unbridled's Song), Delightful Quality is now the dam of Essential Quality, who on February 27 claimed early favoritism for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (USA-G1) with a visually impressive win over last-out Los Alamitos Futurity (USA-G2) winner Spielberg and multiple juvenile Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior in the Southwest Stakes (USA-G3) at Oaklawn Park.
Essential Quality came into the Southwest as the reigning American champion 2-year-old male of 2020, having secured that title with consecutive wins in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (USA-G1) and the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (USA-G1). Now unbeaten in four starts, the son of Tapit will probably make one more start before the big one at Churchill Downs in either the Arkansas Derby (USA-G1) or the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1).
Essential Quality is the only winner thus far from his dam, but Delightful Quality has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo and, after being barren in 2020, was bred to Nyquist for 2021. Other youngsters from this immediate female family to keep an eye out for include two unraced fillies out of Delightful Quality's stakes-winning half sister Divided Attention (by A.P. Indy), Another Think (2018, by Pioneerof the Nile) and Full Focus (2019, by Medaglia d'Oro); Savile Row, a 2018 Quality Road colt out of Rhodochrosite's Malibu Moon half sister Miss Moon who won his only start at 2; Gramercy, a 2018 filly and winner at 2 by Bernardini out of Folklore's full sister Orchestrate; and an unnamed 2019 Ghostzapper filly out of Delightful Quality's Bernardini half sister Dreamup. Any and all of these youngsters could turn out blue-blooded busts, of course, but when a stream has already turned up a couple of large gold nuggets, panning in the same area is just good sense.
Among his close female relatives who was pinpointed as having a very good chance of coming up with something special in the near future was Grade 3-placed Delightful Quality, and so it has proved. By Elusive Quality out of the Storm Cat mare Contrive and, this, a half sister to 2005 American champion 2-year-old filly Folklore (by Tiznow), dam of Contrail's dam Rhodochrosite (by Unbridled's Song), Delightful Quality is now the dam of Essential Quality, who on February 27 claimed early favoritism for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (USA-G1) with a visually impressive win over last-out Los Alamitos Futurity (USA-G2) winner Spielberg and multiple juvenile Grade 1 winner Jackie's Warrior in the Southwest Stakes (USA-G3) at Oaklawn Park.
Essential Quality came into the Southwest as the reigning American champion 2-year-old male of 2020, having secured that title with consecutive wins in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (USA-G1) and the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (USA-G1). Now unbeaten in four starts, the son of Tapit will probably make one more start before the big one at Churchill Downs in either the Arkansas Derby (USA-G1) or the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (USA-G1).
Essential Quality is the only winner thus far from his dam, but Delightful Quality has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Uncle Mo and, after being barren in 2020, was bred to Nyquist for 2021. Other youngsters from this immediate female family to keep an eye out for include two unraced fillies out of Delightful Quality's stakes-winning half sister Divided Attention (by A.P. Indy), Another Think (2018, by Pioneerof the Nile) and Full Focus (2019, by Medaglia d'Oro); Savile Row, a 2018 Quality Road colt out of Rhodochrosite's Malibu Moon half sister Miss Moon who won his only start at 2; Gramercy, a 2018 filly and winner at 2 by Bernardini out of Folklore's full sister Orchestrate; and an unnamed 2019 Ghostzapper filly out of Delightful Quality's Bernardini half sister Dreamup. Any and all of these youngsters could turn out blue-blooded busts, of course, but when a stream has already turned up a couple of large gold nuggets, panning in the same area is just good sense.
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