Essential Quality tops Jim Dandy Stakes

By the New York Hot List Staff // Friday, July 30, 2021

Another favorite will try to buck tradition at Saratoga on Saturday afternoon when Essential Quality will attempt to beat the Spa’s reputation as The Graveyard of Champions when he faces five rivals in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes. A winner of six of seven starts and a champion at two, with the lone loss coming in the Kentucky Derby, Essential Quality figures to be heavily favored in his first start since winning the Belmont Stakes. In most cases, it would be hard to pick or bet against Essential Quality, but we are talking about Saratoga here, where heavily favored Malathaat went down to defeat a week ago.

Here’s the Hot List picks for the Jim Dandy:

Saratoga, Saturday, Race 9, $600,000 Jim Dandy (G2):

(5) Essential Quality has a tremendous class advantage over this field with 6 wins from 7 career starts that includes three Grade 1 victories, amongst them the Belmont Stakes. His powerful run in the Belmont over Hot Rod Charlie highlighted Essential Quality’s stamina, determination, and turn of foot. Horses have to prove themselves at Saratoga, but it has to be a strong indicator of success that trainer Brad Cox has opted to run in the Jim Dandy when that was not his original plan. (3) Weyburn was last seen running just a neck behind Mandaloun in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park. That effort was flattered when Mandaloun ran so well in the Haskell Stakes (G1). Weyburn’s fourth in the Wood Memorial (G2) points out some inconsistency. He is the only horse in the field that prefers to race as part of the early pace, so he is likely to be on the lead. (4) Keepmeinmind has raced exclusively in graded stakes races since his debut. His deep closing style has been a big part of why he has only 1 win from 9 starts but he has four other top three finishes. However, trainer Robertino Diodoro has made a rider change to Joel Rosario and nobody is better with late runners than Rosario. (2) Masqueparade burst on the 3-year-old scene with an allowance romp at Churchill Downs followed by a victory in the Ohio Derby (G3) as the favorite.

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