NEWS
Quality Road destroys competition in Donn Handicap
Posted: Saturday, February 06, 2010 6:50 PM
QUALITY ROAD
Coglianese Photos
To view the Donn Handicap, click here.
by Mike Curry
Quality Road easily dispatched the competition in the $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, eclipsing his own track record for 1 1/8 miles in a 12 3/4-length romp.
Sent off as the 2-to-5 favorite, the brilliant Elusive Quality colt completed the distance in 1:47.49 under John Velazquez to record his third track record in nine career starts. He set the previous record of 1:47.72 while winning last year’s Florida Derby Presented by BlackBerry (G1).
“Watching the replay it looked awesome, it felt awesome,” Velazquez said. “It was just awesome.”
An Edward P. Evans homebred trained by Todd Pletcher, Quality Road entered off a clear win in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) on January 3 at Gulfstream. With six wins, two seconds, and one third in nine starts, Quality Road has proven to be fast, consistent, and one of the top horses in the older male division.
His only flaws have been gate issues and quarter cracks. He has been healthy since returning from a pair of quarter cracks that knocked him off the 2009 Triple Crown trail, and Quality Road appears to have made significant strides loading into the starting gate. He was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on November 7 when he became unruly in the gate and suffered lacerations, but Quality Road went calmly into the starting gate for the Donn and blasted out to the early lead before settling in behind pacesetter Past the Point.
“He just needed a moment [entering the gate] to feel comfortable, and then he was fine,” Velazquez said.
He stalked Past the Point through a half-mile in :46.02 and six furlongs in 1:09.87, seized command approaching the stretch with an explosive turn of foot, and left eight opponents in his wake as he opened a commanding advantage nearing the eighth pole. The $300,000 winner’s share pushed Quality Road’s career earnings to $1,332,830.
“He’s got a very high cruising speed and can go :46 and 1:09 and still keep going. Not many horses can do that and he was spotting weight to all those horses, six pounds or more,” Pletcher said. “The plan for him here all along was to run in the Hal’s Hope and then the Donn, give him a little break, and then point for the [Metropolitan Handicap (G1)] and the big races at Saratoga [Race Course] before the Breeders’ Cup Classic in the fall.”
Dry Martini, winner of the 2009 Suburban Handicap (G2), rallied from last to edge Delightful Kiss by a length for second.
Last year, Quality Road solidified his status among the elite three-year-olds with wins in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby. He missed the Triple Crown with quarter cracks but returned in August at Saratoga Race Course, where he shattered the 6 1/2-furlong track record by winning the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) in 1:13.74.
Virginia-bred Quality Road is one of two winners from three starters out of the Strawberry Road (Aus) mare Kobla, a full sister to 1997 champion three-year-old filly Ajina.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
