Belmont Stakes Horses: Essential Quality

The Belmont Stakes is one of the most significant events that occurs every year. This is because it takes place on the dirt track at Belmont Park, which is North America’s longest thoroughbred racing track. It is always exciting to see who will be the next champion to come out on top. Take a look at the latest tvg odds for the belmont stakes for more detail. 

Because of this, the Belmont Stakes has seen many champion thoroughbreds competing in this grueling event. One of these high achieving thoroughbreds is Essential Quality, who made headlines during the 2021 Belmont Stakes. 

This is a look into Essential Quality’s career highs as a race horse who maintained a reputation for his stamina, power, and enthusiasm during his career. 

Starting Position

Firstly, Essential Quality entered the 2021 Belmont Stakes with odds at 2-1 after drawing the position at number two. The thoroughbred was a Breeder’s Cup Juvenile winner the previous year, and widely regarded as a champion racer. 

Essential Quality began the 2021 season at the Belmont Stakes, and did not leave much to the imagination. The stunning gray colt gained momentum around the backstretch and did not stop until he finished on top of the podium. 

Although he did not appear in that year’s Kentucky Derby or Preakness Stakes, Essential Quality certainly made light work of the final Triple Crown event. He made the test of champions appear effortless, and demonstrated his determination at Belmont Park in 2021. 

At the end of the 2021 Belmont Stakes, Essential Quality’s odds had changed to 1.30. Despite finishing fourth during the Kentucky Derby previously that year, Essential Quality had a reputation to defend as one of the highest achieving colts of his time. 

Luis Saez

Having won his first Triple Crown event with Essential Quality in 2020, Luis Saez knew that the gray colt was going to achieve great things under his guidance. The two made an excellent team, and certainly did not disappoint in the 2021 Belmont Stakes. 

Thanks to his achievements with Essential Quality during his prime, Saez became the third-highest ranked jockey in North America in 2020 for total wins, and for amount earned. The pair worked well together, and proved their ability as high achievers during the 2021 Belmont Stakes. 

Saez made some of his main American thoroughbred racing accomplishments with Essential Quality. He understood the colt’s need to win, and used his competitive nature to his advantage. It is the mutual understanding that made the pair so unique as well as successful. They achieved a great deal together, and certainly deserve more recognition. 

Awards And Records

Despite Essential Quality failing to break any records at the Belmont Stakes, he has achieved a huge amount of success as a thoroughbred racer. Essential Quality also earned the Eclipse Award following his 2020 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile win. As a result, the thoroughbred racer was named that year’s American champion two-year-old colt. 

Following the huge success of the pair, they went on to appear in the Jim Dandy Stakes, Travers Stakes, and Breeder’s Cup Classic in the same year. The thoroughbred won all of these races, apart from the Breeder’s Cup, where he lost by a neck. 

However, many feel that it is Essential Quality’s performance at the Belmont Stakes that contributed to his recognition during the Eclipse Awards. Essential Quality was named the 2021 American Champion Three-Year-Old Male. 

Following the success of the 2021 Belmont Stakes, Essential Quality earned an impressive $800,000. That is 53.3% of the total purse for the annual event. Not only that, but Essential Quality finished the race around the track at Belmont Park in 2:27.11, which is three seconds behind 1973 champion Secretariat. 

Rivals

Hot Rod Charlie was on track for a Belmont Stakes win in 2021. This can be seen by his setting the record for the fastest fraction on the initial quarter-mile. In spite of an impressively strong start, Essential Quality sped through the track and showed his potential as a Belmont Stakes winner. 

It was a tough fight until the end, with Essential Quality winning by just 1 ¼ lengths! Saez stated in an interview that the thoroughbred always fights, and is determined to win against others. This was certainly evident at the end of this event, as Essential Quality completed the race at Belmont Park in 2:27.11.  

Despite competing against some high achieving winners of previous Triple Crown events, Essential Quality won the run for the carnations in 2021. 

Another significant rivalry which was not seen at the 2021 Belmont Stakes was between Essential Quality and Midnight Bourbon. Their close competition could be seen during the Travers Stakes, where the pair battled it out for the gray colt to finish in first place by a neck. 

Summary

The Belmont Stakes have seen a huge amount of thoroughbred champions with their own unique talents. Some went on to set new records for the event, and others kept a tense competition until the final stretch. 

Essential Quality achieved a huge amount of success during his career as a colt, and he played an important role in getting crowds excited at Belmont Park. 

The gray thoroughbred performed exceptionally well under the direction of Luis Saez, and the pair went on to win multiple races following their 2021 Belmont Stakes success. Check out the link above to look out for the next high achieving duo.