Essential Quality

$65,000 Gr/ro 2018 16.2½HH (1.69M)
Tapit – Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality)
Stands and nurses. Standing at Jonabell Farm, Kentucky

First yearlings in 2024

Tapit’s leading money-earner in North America. Won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and G1 Breeders’ Futurity in an unbeaten two-year-old season and took the G1 Belmont and G1 Travers at three.

The first Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont Stakes, and only the seventh colt in the 53-year history of the Eclipse Awards to be named Champion at both two and three.

He’s covered 122 Stakes performers and 92 dams of Stakes horses in his first two books.

First weanlings bring $485k, $285k, $280k, $260k, $230k.

Pedigree

ESSENTIAL QUALITY

TAPIT

PULPIT

A. P. INDY

SEATTLE SLEW

WEEKEND SURPRISE

PREACH

MR. PROSPECTOR

NARRATE

TAP YOUR HEELS

UNBRIDLED

FAPPIANO

GANA FACIL

RUBY SLIPPERS

NIJINSKY

MOON GLITTER

DELIGHTFUL QUALITY

ELUSIVE QUALITY

GONE WEST

MR. PROSPECTOR

SECRETTAME

TOUCH OF GREATNESS

HERO'S HONOR

IVORY WAND

CONTRIVE

STORM CAT

STORM BIRD

TERLINGUA

JEANO

FAPPIANO

BASIE

By TAPIT (2001) Wood Memorial S (G1), etc. Sire of 1,616 foals aged three and up, including ESSENTIAL QUALITY, FROSTED, PROXY, FLIGHTLINE, CONSTITUTION, CREATOR, CUPID, HANSEN, STARDOM BOUND, SWEET LORETTA, TAPIT TRICE, TAPIZAR, TAPWRIT, TONALIST, UNIQUE BELLA, UNTAPABLE, VALIANCE, ZAZU, etc.

1st dam: Delightful Quality by Elusive Quality. 2 wins (6f-7f) at 3 and 4, 2nd Correction S, Shine Again S, Mandys Gold S, Garland of Roses S, 3rd Bed o' Roses H (G3). Dam of 7 foals, 3 to race, 2 winners:

ESSENTIAL QUALITY (c Tapit) Champion, see Race record.

Famed (f Uncle Mo) Winner (6½f-7f) at 2 and 3, 2nd Weather Vane S.

2nd dam: Contrive by Storm Cat. Unraced. Dam of 9 winners:

FOLKLORE (f Tiznow) Champion two-year-old filly in the US, 4 wins at 2, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Matron S (G1), Adirondack S (G2), 2nd Spinaway S (G2). Dam of:

Rhodochrosite (f Unbridled's Song) Placed at 2. Dam of: CONTRAIL (c Deep Impact) Champion two-year-old colt and three-year-old colt in Japan, Japan Cup (G1), Tokyo Yushun (G1), Hopeful S (G1), Satsuki Sho (G1), Kikuka Sho (G1), Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2), 2nd Japan Cup (G1), 3rd Osaka Hai (G1). Sire.

DIVIDED ATTENTION (f A.P. Indy) 3 wins at 2 to 4, Ladies H, 2nd Tempted S (G3), 3rd Affectionately S.

AMUSING PLAN (f Pleasantly Perfect) Winner at 3. Dam of:

TIZ PLAN (c Tiznow) Busan Mayor's Cup.

3rd dam: JEANO by Fappiano. 10 wins at 6, Shirley Jones H (G3), Thoroughbred Club of America S (G3). Dam of 7 winners:

STORMY ANTICS (f Stormy Atlantic) Winner at 3. Dam of: STUDENT BODY (f Colonel John) Mardi Gras S.

KEW GARDEN (f Seattle Slew) Winner at 3. Dam of:

QUEENS PLAZA (f Forestry) Sorority S. Grandam of: FORTE (c Violence) Champion two-year-old colt in the US. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Hopeful S (G1).

Lady Tiz (f Tiznow). Dam of: LORD ALEX (c Exchange Rate) Clasico Velocidad (G3), 2nd GP Suipacha (G1).

Never a No Hitter (f Kris S.) Unraced. Dam of:

TIZAHIT (f Tiznow) Demoiselle S (G2), 2nd Blue Hen S. Dam of: COME DANCING (f Malibu Moon) Ballerina S (G1), Gallant Bloom H (G2), Ruffian S (G2), 2nd Ogden Phipps S (G1).

SKIPSTONE (f Montbrook) Winner at 2. Dam of: SKIPALUTE (f Midnight Lute) Brookmeade S, 2nd Matron S (G2).

Queen's Lady (f Storm Cat) Unraced. Dam of:

GHOSTSLAYER (f Ghostzapper) Winner at 3. Dam of: BIDDY DUKE (f Bayern) Senator Ken Maddy S (G3).

4th dam: BASIE by In Reality. 9 wins at 5, Delaware H (G1), Helena S, 2nd Ladies H (G1), 3rd Arlington Oaks (G3). Dam of 6 winners:

JEANO (f Fappiano) Graded winner, see above.

Stud record
Essential Quality’s first crop are yearlings of 2024.

Conformation

Race record

His successful career

Age Starts 1st 2nd 3rd Earnings
Two 3 3 - - $1,335,144
Three 7 5 - 1 $3,420,000
Total 10 8 - 1 $4,755,144

At 2 Eclipse Champion two-year-old colt

1st
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, beating Hot Rod Charlie, Keepmeinmind, Jackie’s Warrior, Rombauer, Dreamer’s Disease, King Fury, Classier, Sittin On Go, Reinvestment Risk, Next.
1st
Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, by 3¼l, beating Keepmeinmind, Super Stock, Founder, King Fury.
1st
Maiden Special Weight, 6f, Churchill Downs, by 4l.

At 3 Eclipse Champion three-year-old colt

1st
Belmont S (G1), 12f, Belmont Park, beating Hot Rod Charlie, Rombauer, Known Agenda, Bourbonic, Rock Your World, Overtook.
1st
Travers S (G1), 10f, Saratoga, beating Midnight Bourbon, Miles D, Keepmeinmind, King Fury, Masqueparade, Dynamic One.
1st
Blue Grass S (G2), 9f, Keeneland, beating Highly Motivated, Rombauer, Hidden Stash, Keepmeinmind, Sittin On Go, Hush Of A Storm.
1st
Jim Dandy S (G2), 9f, Saratoga, beating Keepmeinmind, Masqueparade, Weyburn, Dr Jack.
1st
Southwest S (G3), 8½f, Oaklawn Park, by 4¼l, beating Spielberg, Jackie’s Warrior.
3rd
Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), 10f, Del Mar, to Knicks Go, Medina Spirit, beating Hot Rod Charlie, Stilleto Boy, Art Collector, Tripoli, Max Player.
4th
Kentucky Derby (G1), 10f, Churchill Downs, to Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, beating O Besos, Midnight Bourbon, Keepmeinmind, 
Helium, Known Agenda, Highly Motivated, Sainthood, Like The King, Bourbonic, Hidden Stash, Brooklyn Strong, Super Stock, Rock Your World, Dynamic One, Soup And Sandwich.

Video footage

Watch him go: see him at his best

Southwest S (G3), 8½f, Oaklawn Park, 27 Feb 2021
Jim Dandy S (G2), 9f, Saratoga, 31 Jul 2021
Blue Grass S (G2), 9f, Keeneland, 03 Apr 2021
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, 06 Nov 2020
Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, 03 Oct 2020
Belmont S (G1), 12f, Belmont Park, 05 Jun 2021
Travers S (G1), 10f, Saratoga, 28 Aug 2021

Special insights: interviews, expert opinion and more

See the full playlist on YouTube

News

In the news

Breeding forms

View and complete our breeding forms for the current season and send us your vet certificates.

Our stud office team is here to help on +1 859 255 8537.

 

Mare Information

Complete and submit this form as part of your booking. Please double-check pedigree and ownership details and use correct spelling.

If using the PDF version (click here), all paperwork must be emailed to darleyshedforms@godolphin.com

 

Breeding shed form

Complete the form and submit your mare’s breeding shed information.

If using the PDF version (click here), all shed paperwork (shed form and veterinary certificates if applicable) must be emailed to darleyshedforms@godolphin.com

 

Kentucky Department of Agriculture – 2024 testing requirements for imported mares to be bred.

C.E.M. testing and treatment requirements.

Importing from C.E.M. affected countries.

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Directions to Breeding Shed:

If using GPS, please use the following address for the Darley Breeding Shed entrance:

3555 Bowman Mill Rd
Lexington, KY 40513

Once through the gate, follow the signs directing you to the breeding shed.