El Barrio closed with a rush to nail favored Meilani at the wire to win a one mile maiden special weight on the turf at Woodbine on Saturday, Sept. 13.
The grey/roan filly became the second winner of the day for her freshman sire, Essential Quality. His son, Misinformation, who races for the same D.J. Stable/Mark Casse connections as El Barrio, broke his maiden earlier in the afternoon at Churchill Downs.
Breaking from post 10 in the bulky field of 11 juvenile fillies, El Barrio raced toward the rear of the field as Kinzie Girl led the way through the opening stages of the race. Favored Meilani tracked her from second, with Lapin De Plage stalking from third.
El Barrio steadily advanced on the leaders down the backstretch and into the far turn, swinging six-wide as the field hit the top of the stretch. El Barrio close steadily on the leaders in the final furlong, getting up in the shadow of the wire to win by a neck.
El Barrio was bred in Kentucky by Betz/B&K Canetti/J.Betz/DJ Stables/Epona/Ramsby and was purchased by D.J. Stables for $270,000 out of the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale. She is out the Stakes winning mare, Spanish Harlem (More Than Ready), and hails from the immediate family of Graded Stakes winner Buddha (G1 Wood Memorial) and Stakes winners Wild Hoots and Savings Account (Medaglia d’Oro).
In addition to El Barrio and Misinformation, dual Champion Essential Quality is also the sire of the undefeated filly, Chopsticks, winner of the Ellis Park Debutante in her second start, and Aye Eye, who rocketed from last-to-first to win his career debut at Saratoga in August.
