Aside from scheduling problems, the Southwest Stakes turned out pretty chalky. All things considered, trainer Brad Cox couldn't have been more pleased.
Adapting Roy Scheider's line from "Jaws," they'll need a bigger boat against Essential Quality, whose 3-year-old debut came Saturday, even if two weeks late, at Oaklawn Racing Casino. Eschewing the rail post that he drew, the Tapit colt stalked the field's two other graded-stakes winners outside and disposed of Spielberg and Jackie's Warrior by 4 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3 $750,000 Southwest.
Unbeaten now in four starts, Essential Quality rewarded Cox, who kept Godolphin Stable's homebred champion on course during two weather-related postponements. With Luis Saez up, the colt cleared all remaining hurdles on race day, overcoming a wet track and the slow early pace of Jackie's Warrior. As in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, where they met before and Jackie's Warrior suffered his first loss, Essential Quality reeled in his rivals by the quarter pole and drew off, his mile and sixteenth in 1:45.08.
"Good horses do overcome, but it doesn't mean the trainer doesn't worry," said Cox after Essential Quality completed a stakes double on the card for Godolphin and Saez. Earlier, Mystic Guide launched his 4-year-old campaign in high style with a six-length romp in the Grade 3 $600,000 Razorback Handicap. The Dubai World Cup may be next for the Ghostzapper colt, said trainer Mike Stidham.
Essential Quality collected 10 points for the May 1 Kentucky Derby, giving him 40 in three prep races. If strength lies in numbers, Cox also has Fair Grounds Grade 2 winner Mandaloun and Oaklawn stakes winner Caddo River pointing to the Churchill Downs classic.
"It was somewhat of a relief to get this race over with," Cox said. "The delay of the race, the track conditions, just a lot of obstacles to overcome. He showed up and ran his race."
Spielberg, overlooked like few Bob Baffert-trained Oaklawn starters ever, held second by 4 1/4 lengths despite a slow break. Jackie's Warrior, after three wins on the card for trainer Steve Asmussen, finished third by 2 3/4 lengths.
"He missed the break," jockey Martin Garcia said of Spielberg, a Grade 2 winner in California who ran fourth in his 3-year-old debut at Santa Anita. "I put him in the race and on the outside; I just followed the winner every step. When I asked him, he went, but the winner was already being asked."
Said Baffert, "Other than the gate, everything went well. He shipped well and he ran well."
Saez said everything went smoothly for Essential Quality. "The plan was to try to follow (Jackie's Warrior) the whole way. Everything came together," the jockey said. "We came to the stretch just so easy. He switched leads and just took off."
Said Cox: "He's a fit horse with a lot of bottom (foundation) to him and looks like he wants to go longer." Once the colt is back in New Orleans, from where he shipped Wednesday, Cox indicated it may be mid-March before he decides a second Derby prep for Essential Quality.
Of the others in the Southwest, Woodhouse earned one Derby point for placing fourth.
Oaklawn's Grade 2 Rebel March 13, the likely return race for Smarty Jones winner Caddo River, offers 50 points to the winner and 20-10-5 to the next three finishers. On another Derby front, Greatest Honour earned 50 points Saturday winning Gulfstream's Grade 2 Fountain of Youth for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey.
Jackie's Warrior, with Joel Rosario up, and Essential Quality were even money co-favorites until the winner's price dropped to $3.80 late. Jackie's Warrior broke quickly, getting the half in 48.11 seconds, with Saez and Essential Quality keeping him in sight.
"You never know when they go 2 to 3," Cox told FS2's "America's Day at the Races" after the win. "Just because they're training well doesn't mean they'll move forward. But I thought he moved forward today. I thought it was a huge effort. It's what I was hoping to see."
• Fellow shippers Mystic Guide and Kimari set the stage with stakes victories on the first Oaklawn Saturday of racing in three weeks.
Mystic Guide, winning the Razorback by six lengths, continued to reward Godolphin for a carefully managed career. Unraced at 2 but now with two graded victories, the 4-year-old has bigger targets in mind
"We spaced his races, gave him time to develop. It's really paying off now. That's the best part of it all," Stidham said. "As far as they go, he'll run. Certainly in the back of our mind, the Dubai World Cup is there. Now, after a performance like that, it's on the table for sure."
Gun Runner, winning the first February running of the Razorback to start his 4-year-old season, went on to be Horse of the Year in 2017.
Carrying 119 pounds through 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.33, Mystic Guide improved his seven-race record to 3-2-2 for $553,200. The 2-1 second choice in the Razorback, the winner paid $6.40, $3.80 and $2.60.
The 4-year-old Silver Prospector, last year's Southwest winner, checked in second after a mild stretch bid. Owendale, a 5-year-old Cox trainee, placed third.
Kimari, on her second Oaklawn visit, paired the Spring Fever with last year's success in the Purple Martin. The 4-year-old Munnings filly crossed the line 4 1/4 lengths in front after a snappy 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.07.
"She's sound as new money," said trainer Wesley Ward. "And she probably ran one of the best races of her life. Only thing different this year over last year (in the Purple Martin) was the outside post. It was to her advantage this year. It made Joel's job easier."
The seventh different rider of Kimari, Rosario stalked the leaders down the backstretch, his filly unfazed by the slop while biding her time. Casual finished second while Shesomajestic made a last-to-third charge down the middle of the track. Amy's Challenge, a three-time Oaklawn stakes winner, placed fourth in her second meet loss to a 4-year-old, following that in the American Beauty to Arkansas-owned Frank's Rockette.
"She was responding to everything I was asking for," Rosario said after Kimari's first race since the Kentucky Downs turf meeting last fall. "Turning for home, she took the lead in hand. Looked like any time I wanted to go, she was there for me."