Lower than 24 hours faraway from the richest and most essential victory of his 17-year coaching profession, Brad Cox mirrored on an “odd” feeling as he stood Nov. 7 amidst a quiet and principally abandoned Del Mar barn space.
A day earlier, Cox savored the candy style of success whereas watching Knicks Go win the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at the Southern California racetrack and wrap up Horse of the Year honors. Yet at the same time, there was the letdown of a third-place finish by Godolphin’s 3-year-old Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Essential Quality , who finished third as the 9-5 favorite in the final race of a spectacular career.
“I don’t know how to describe watching the race. It was odd,” Cox said about his initial Classic victory. “I thought Essential Quality put in a really, really good effort and didn’t get the set-up he needed. To win at this level, you have to get a good trip. Knicks Go had things his own way.”
Perhaps the key moment in the Classic came at the start when Zedan Racing Stables’ Medina Spirit broke slowly and jockey John Velazquez did not rush out to battle Knicks Go and jockey Joel Rosario on the front end.
That left the Korea Racing Authority’s Knicks Go with a clear lead that he held around both turns of the 1 1/4-mile Classic before pulling away to cross the wire 2 3/4 lengths ahead of runner-up Medina Spirit in a fast 1:59.57.
“It is big to have the ability to seize the richest race in America and do it on a global stage, which is what the Breeders’ Cup is,” Cox mentioned in regards to the 5-year-old bred by Angie Moore. “Knicks Go was capable of clear off and get some house on the backstretch and finally it led to him having sufficient in reserve to complete up extraordinarily nicely.”
In addition to Knicks Go completed up within the Traditional, it won’t be his finale. Cox and KRA officers say if the Maryland-bred son of Paynter continues to train sharply, the $8.6 million earner will close out his career bidding for back-to-back wins in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29.
There he figures to be extra fiercely examined on the entrance finish because of the presence of China Horse Membership and WinStar Farm’s Life Is Good , who is also targeting the Pegasus after a dominant win Saturday in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1), the same race that Knicks Go won last year and which catapulted him to stardom.
Cox said Knicks Go will be shipped to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in early December to prepare for the Pegasus, but before that he will return to Kentucky Nov. 9 with Essential Quality and will be showcased for breeders over the weekend at Taylor Made Farm, where Cox is confident he will begin a successful stud career next year.
“I think the speed he has, he’s built for American racing on the dirt. That’s what he’s done and I’m hopeful that he’ll pass that on to his offspring,” said Cox, who took over the training duties for Knicks Go last year and won eight of 10 races after the horse had won just two of 14 starts before that. “I think he’s got everything it takes to be a stallion. He’s a grade 1 winner, too. He was a grade 1 winner at 4, 5. He’s traveled around the world and he’s a very tough, durable horse. He’s extremely sound and I think we’re in a day and age where horses go to stud so early and he’s a little bit of a throwback horse in that he’s raced at 4 and 5 and raced as much as he has. I’m so very proud of what he has accomplished this year and ending last year and hopefully he’ll pass it on as a stallion.”
Essential Quality’s next stop will also be life at stud for Godolphin and its Darley breeding arm at Jonabell Farm, where the 2-year-old champion, homebred, American classic-winning son of Tapit figures to be in high demand by breeders.
The Classic was just the second loss for Essential Quality, whose record of eight wins in 10 starts includes a fourth behind Medina Spirit in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and earnings of $4.75 million.
“There’s a lot that I’ll remember about Essential Quality,” Cox said. “He was probably my first big colt. He and Mandaloun (who was second in the Kentucky Derby) were my first big shots at winning the Derby. He was a champion and winning a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) like he did, it’s probably the second-biggest Breeders’ Cup race you can win in terms of establish value as a stallion. What he accomplished at 2 was amazing and to transfer that over at the age of 3 and win as much as he did and add two more grade 1 wins at 3 at classic distance hopefully has him set up for a fantastic stallion career.”
While there might be some debate over the 3-year-old champion, since Medina Spirit finished ahead of Essential Quality in their only two meetings, the Kentucky Derby and Classic, Cox firmly believes the Eclipse Award should go to his 3-year-old Tapit colt.
“He would get my vote,” chuckled Cox, who does not have a vote in the balloting for year-end honors. “I can take nothing away from Medina Spirit. He ran a fantastic race and he’s got a nice résumé as well. But Essential Quality was able to capture two prestigious grade 1 races in the Travers and the Belmont, which is the ‘Test of the Champion’ and hopefully he is a champion and can add another trophy to his résumé come Eclipse time.”
Of course, the dark cloud hovering over the 3-year-old division is that Medina Spirit failed two post-race drug tests after the Kentucky Derby and may be stripped of his victory.
As for Medina Spirit, trainer Bob Baffert was proud of his 3-year-old’s effort in which he finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Essential Quality and 1 3/4 lengths in front of grade 1 winner and 3-1 co-second choice Hot Rod Charlie .
“He’s a good horse. He doesn’t get tired,” Baffert said. “It’s a shame what happened (with the drug tests) because the Kentucky Derby was one of my most exciting and fun times because we came in under the radar. It was too bad, but he showed them how good he is (in the Classic). Coming in I told my (wife Jill) if Knicks Go wasn’t in there, he could win (the Classic). I just didn’t have the wheels to go with him.”
Rather than the Pegasus, Baffert said Medina Spirit would be pointed to the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1).
“The Saudi Cup is the main goal right now because Mr. (Amr) Zedan is from Saudi Arabia,” Baffert said about the Feb. 26 stakes.
Medina Spirit, a son of Protonico bred by Gail Rice in Florida, has four wins and four seconds in nine 2021 starts with grade 1 wins in the Kentucky Derby and Awesome Again Stakes.
