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Quality Road in a class by himself in Donn

Quality Road gave notice in the Donn that he is back (Guy Gustafson/Horsephotos.com) Edward P. Evans' homebred QUALITY ROAD (Elusive Quality) overwhelmed eight opponents and broke his own track record in taking Saturday's $500,000 Donn H. (G1), once again stamping himself as a horse to be reckoned with in the race for divisional honors. Quality Road and pacesetter Past the Point (Indian Charlie) put some distance between themselves and the rest of the field through the opening seven furlongs, and after Past the Point set splits of :23 1/5, :46 and 1:09 4/5, jockey John Velazquez asked Quality Road to move on by that rival and the colt responded with authority. Opening up on the field, Quality Road won as he pleased by 12 3/4 lengths in a time of 1:47.49, bettering the nine-furlong record of 1:47.72 he posted in winning the Florida Derby (G1) last March. The 2-5 favorite returned $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10. "Watching the replay it looked awesome, it felt awesome. It was just awesome," Velasquez said. It was a scramble for second, with Suburban H. (G2) hero Dry Martini (Slew Gin Fizz) rallying up the inside to gain the place by a length at 13-1. He paid $6.20 and $4.20 while completing the $17.80 exacta. Well out in the middle of the track, Delightful Kiss (Kissin Kris) won a three-way photo for the show by a head at 13-1, returning $4.80. The trifecta gave back $93 while fourth-placer Mambo Meister (King Cugat) completed the 4-5-10-8 superfecta worth $537.60. Next under the wire were Helsinki (Distorted Humor), Past the Point, Kiss the Kid (Lemon Drop Kid), Duke of Mischief (Graeme Hall) and Dubai Gold (Deputy Commander). You and I Forever (A.P. Indy) was scratched.

"The plan for him here all along was to run in the Hal's Hope (S. [G3]) and then the Donn, give him a little break, and then point for the (Metropolitan H. [G1]) and the big races at Saratoga before the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in the fall," trainer Todd Pletcher said. "Mr. Evans and I will talk about it again, but I think that will be the plan."

Quality Road showed promise early on in his three-year-old career, capturing the Fountain of Youth S. (G2) and Florida Derby under the tutelage of trainer Jimmy Jerkens. Though he set a new track record for the latter event, the bay colt's Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations were plagued by quarter-crack issues and he ultimately never got to run in any of the Triple Crown races.

Evans transferred Quality Road to Pletcher, who saddled his new charge to an easy victory in the Amsterdam S. (G2) at Saratoga. Quality Road set another track record in the Amsterdam, running 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:13.74, then finished third and second to Summer Bird (Birdstone) in the Travers S. (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1), respectively, on sloppy tracks. The sophomore suffered a meltdown at the gate of the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and was scratched out of the championship event. More reserved when reappearing in the January 3 Hal's Hope S., the bay proceeded to win the one-turn mile by a comfortable 2 3/4 lengths. With this second top-level victory, Quality Road has now bankrolled $1,332,830 from a scorecard of 9-6-2-1.

The Virginia-bred is out of Kobla (Strawberry Road [Aus]), who has since produced a juvenile filly named Kobla Cat (Tale of the Cat). Quality Road is also a half-brother to Mt. Kobla (Mt. Livermore), herself the dam of dual Group 2-placed King Ledley (Stormin Fever). Kobla is a full sister to 1997 champion three-year-old filly and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) heroine Ajina, an earner of more than $1.3 million. She also counts multiple Grade 3 victor Rob's Spirit (Theatrical [Ire]) as a half-brother. Quality Road's third dam is Irish champion Highest Trump (Bold Bidder), whose descendants include multiple English Group 1 winner and highweight Bahri (Riverman).

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