Wharfie came with a sustained rally down the center of the course to reel in longshot Juana Margarita in the closing strides and win the $200,000 Listed Rags to Riches Stakes by three-quarters of a length at Churchill Downs Oct. 25.
The two-year-old Essential Quality filly, who was winning for the second time in two starts, earned herself 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
At the start it was Lunar Velocity (also by Essential Quality) that zipped right to the front, despite stumbling coming out of the gate. She led the way through an opening quarter-mile in :23.88. Never far away, Oh She Said Yes raced along to her inside with First Laugh between them as the field went into the far turn after a half-mile in :48.63 and six furlongs in 1:13.71.
Wharfie, meanwhile, was comfortably in hand for most of the running while racing in last and was asked to improve her position as they closed ranks late on the far turn.
Turning for home, the top trio kept battling but pressure was coming to their outside as 23-1 outsider Juana Margarita swept by them to take the lead. But that lead was short-lived with Wharfie closing relentlessly while racing six-wide down the center of the course. The dark bay/brown filly used every inch of the long Churchill Downs stretch to reel in the longshot nearing the wire to win by three-quarters of a length.
Godolphin's First Laugh closed late to take third.
Racing as a homebred for Godolphin, Wharfie is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare, Waterside, who is a half-sister to G1 winner/multiple G1-placed Little Belle (A.P. Indy), and is closely related to Dickinson (Medaglia d’Oro), winner of the G1 Jenny Wiley Stakes.
Two-time Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality has sired nine stakes winners thus far with just two crops to race, headlined by The Puma, winner of the G1 Pennsylvania Derby who will start next in the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic. In addition to The Puma and Wharfie, the stallion is represented by Stakes winners Bohemian (Pucker Up Stakes), Bull by the Horns (Rushaway Stakes), My World (Jerome Stakes), Black Hornet (Black Gold Stakes), and Essential Lady (Curtis Sampson Oaks).
Essential Quality will stand the 2027 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $25,000, stands and nurses.
