Chewin The Cud - June 9, 2021

Horseracing Shadows Linger While Essential Quality Wins Belmont Stakes By Frank J. Buchman

Essential Quality edged out Hot Rod Charlie to win the 153rd Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 5, 2021. “The sun was shining, and the track was fast,” exclaimed Melissa Hoppert, race analyst. “After a year away because of the coronavirus pandemic, the crowd at Elmont, New York, was more joyful than inebriated.”

Essential Quality, ridden by jockey Luis Saez, won the 153rd running of the Belmont Stakes

Favored to win the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, Essential Quality could not over- come a bad start there. Thus, his owner and trainer decided not to race their horse at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland. That decision automatically eliminated possibility of there being a Triple Crown winner this year. The Triple Crown title goes to a three-year-old Thoroughbred winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. “Essential Quality’s connections still believed that the two-year-old champion belonged at the top of his three-year-old class,” Hoppert said. Their plan paid off when Essential Quality beat Hot Rod Charlie down the stretch in what be - came a two-horse race. Leading by one-and-a-quarter lengths, Essential Quality completed the mile-and-a-half in 2:27.11. Sent off as the 6-5 favorite, Essential Quality paid $4.60 on a $2 bet to win. Rombauer, winner of the Preakness Stakes, finished third, 11 ¼ lengths behind Hot Rod Charlie.