Godolphin’s homebred Famed , a half sister to multiple grade 1-winning Essential Quality (Tapit ), made headlines of her own Oct. 30 with a 7 3/4-length win at Keeneland, clinching the autumn meet coaching title for Brad Cox and stamping herself as one to observe.
The Uncle Mo filly’s relation to last year’s champion juvenile and the current leader in the 3-year-old division made her a popular choice at 2-5 odds Saturday. Essential Quality, also trains by Cox, runs next in the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar.
Off a one-length runner-up end upon debut Sept. 26 to eventual Oct. 29 Myrtlewood Stakes winner Sweet Dani Girl going six furlongs at Churchill Downs, Famed was entered Saturday in Lexington in an $83,921 maiden particular weight set over the Beard Course Distance of seven furlongs and 184 ft over a sloppy (sealed) observe. Going through ten foes and getting each blinkers and the providers of Florent Geroux for the primary time, the darkish bay filly dueled inside for the lead with Bunduki, established a transparent benefit when that rival bolted on the five-sixteenths pole, and drew off regardless of hanging on her left lead via midstretch. She converted on the sixteenth pole and was geared right down to the wire whereas Geroux gave her a pat on the pinnacle.
The ultimate time was 1:28.42 after fractions of :22.54, :45.41, and 1:10.99. Honeycomb was best of the rest, a neck in front of Catwings .
(1) Famed rounds out the #Keeneland Fall Race Meet with jockey @flothejock aboard. (5) Honeycomb and (11) Catwings observe in Race 10. pic.twitter.com/2wTAFrL2Hf
— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 30, 2021
“She ran a incredible race first day trip to not win sprinting,” stated Jimmy Bell, president and racing supervisor of Godolphin USA. “The winner that day got here again and received the 2-year-old stakes race yesterday right here at Keeneland, which boded effectively for at the moment. We have been very hopeful that the stretch out at the moment would play to her favor, and certainly it did. She completed stuffed with run and provides each indication that two turns will probably be in her close to future.”
Bell added the group has no particular plans for Famed’s subsequent begin, however in an unique interview with BloodHorse+ in July, Cox spoke of excessive hopes for the bay filly.
“She’s a contact aggressive, however in a great way,” he stated. “Her works have been ok to make me suppose she’s a horse that may compete on the graded stage.”
WATCH: Meet Essential Quality’s Half Sister Famed
Famed is the second winner from three starters out of the successful, grade 3-placed Elusive High quality mare Delightful Quality , a half sister to 2005 Alberto VO5 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Folklore (Tiznow —Contrive , by Storm Cat ). Trained by Tom Albertrani for Darley, Delightful Quality placed in seven black-type events, including a third in the 2013 Bed o’Roses Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack.
WATCH: Grand Dams: Delightful Quality
Pleasant High quality made a sluggish begin at her second profession, with two of her first three foals unraced and the one starter a runner solely as soon as, however Important High quality vaulted her title to the headlines together with his 2-year-old championship capped by a TVG Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) rating final season mixed with key wins within the Belmont Stakes Introduced by NYRA Bets (G1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) this 12 months. After developing barren to Uncle Mo in 2020 and to Nyquist this season, she was bred back to Tapit for 2022.
Delightful Quality’s dam Contrive was a $3 million purchase by John Ferguson for Sheikh Mohammed’s global operation in 2005 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton’s marquee breeding stock sale, where she was offered in foal to Pleasantly Perfect shortly after Folklore’s Breeders’ Cup score. Of her 11 starters, nine were winners, and Folklore was named champion 2-year-old filly of 2005. Contrail is the second dam of Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail , a top choice for the Oct. 31 Tenno Sho (Autumn, G1) at Tokyo Racecourse.
