A total of 13 stallions will stand at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in 2024, including two new additions in G1 winners Cody’s Wish and Proxy
Essential Quality
$50,000 Gr/ro 2018 16.2½HH (1.69M)
Tapit – Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality)
Stands and nurses.
Standing at Jonabell Farm, Kentucky
First two-year-olds in 2025
Tapit’s leading money-earner. Won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and G1 Breeders’ Futurity in an unbeaten two-year-old season and took the G1 Belmont and G1 Travers at three.
The only Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner ever to capture the Belmont Stakes, and only the seventh colt in the 53-year history of the Eclipse Awards to be named Champion at both two and three.
He’s covered 157 Stakes performers and 122 dams of Stakes horses in his first three books.
First-crop yearlings in 2024 bring $572k, $510k, $500k, $500k, $500k, $500k, etc.
Pedigree
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ESSENTIAL QUALITY |
TAPIT |
PULPIT |
A. P. INDY |
SEATTLE SLEW |
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WEEKEND SURPRISE |
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PREACH |
MR. PROSPECTOR |
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NARRATE |
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TAP YOUR HEELS |
UNBRIDLED |
FAPPIANO |
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GANA FACIL |
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RUBY SLIPPERS |
NIJINSKY |
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MOON GLITTER |
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DELIGHTFUL QUALITY |
ELUSIVE QUALITY |
GONE WEST |
MR. PROSPECTOR |
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SECRETTAME |
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TOUCH OF GREATNESS |
HERO'S HONOR |
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IVORY WAND |
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CONTRIVE |
STORM CAT |
STORM BIRD |
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TERLINGUA |
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JEANO |
FAPPIANO |
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BASIE |
By TAPIT (2001) Wood Memorial S (G1), etc. Sire of 1,682 foals aged three and up, including ESSENTIAL QUALITY, FROSTED, PROXY, FLIGHTLINE, ARTHUR’S RIDE, CONSTITUTION, CUPID, HANSEN, STARDOM BOUND, SWEET LORETTA, TAPIT TRICE, TAPIZAR, TONALIST, UNIQUE BELLA, UNTAPABLE, VALIANCE, ZAZU, etc.
1st dam: Delightful Quality by Elusive Quality. 2 wins (6f-7f) at 3 and 4, 2nd Correction S, Shine Again S, Mandys Gold S, Garland of Roses S, 3rd Bed o' Roses H (G3). Dam of 8 foals, 3 to race, 2 winners:
ESSENTIAL QUALITY (c Tapit) Champion, see Race record.
FAMED (f Uncle Mo) 4 wins (6½f-7f) at 2 and 3, She’s All In S, 2nd Weather Vane S.
2nd dam: Contrive by Storm Cat. Unraced. Dam of 9 winners:
FOLKLORE (f Tiznow) Champion two-year-old filly in the US, 4 wins at 2, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Matron S (G1), Adirondack S (G2), 2nd Spinaway S (G2). Dam of:
Rhodochrosite (f Unbridled's Song) Placed at 2. Dam of: CONTRAIL (c Deep Impact) Champion two-year-old colt and three-year-old colt in Japan, Japan Cup (G1), Tokyo Yushun (G1), Hopeful S (G1), Satsuki Sho (G1), Kikuka Sho (G1), Kobe Shimbun Hai (G2), 2nd Japan Cup (G1), 3rd Osaka Hai (G1). Sire.
DIVIDED ATTENTION (f A.P. Indy) 3 wins at 2 to 4, Ladies H, 2nd Tempted S (G3), 3rd Affectionately S.
AMUSING PLAN (f Pleasantly Perfect) Winner at 3. Dam of:
TIZ PLAN (c Tiznow) Busan Mayor's Cup.
3rd dam: JEANO by Fappiano. 10 wins at 6, Shirley Jones H (G3), Thoroughbred Club of America S (G3). Dam of 7 winners:
STORMY ANTICS (f Stormy Atlantic) Winner at 3. Dam of: STUDENT BODY (f Colonel John) Mardi Gras S.
KEW GARDEN (f Seattle Slew) Winner at 3. Dam of:
QUEENS PLAZA (f Forestry) Sorority S. Grandam of: FORTE (c Violence) Champion two-year-old colt in the US. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Hopeful S (G1). Sire.
Lady Tiz (f Tiznow). Dam of: LORD ALEX (c Exchange Rate) Clasico Velocidad (G3), 2nd GP Suipacha (G1).
Never a No Hitter (f Kris S.) Unraced. Dam of:
TIZAHIT (f Tiznow) Demoiselle S (G2), 2nd Blue Hen S. Dam of: COME DANCING (f Malibu Moon) Ballerina S (G1), Gallant Bloom H (G2), Ruffian S (G2), 2nd Ogden Phipps S (G1).
SKIPSTONE (f Montbrook) Winner at 2. Dam of: SKIPALUTE (f Midnight Lute) Brookmeade S, 2nd Matron S (G2).
Queen's Lady (f Storm Cat) Unraced. Dam of:
GHOSTSLAYER (f Ghostzapper) Winner at 3. Dam of: BIDDY DUKE (f Bayern) Senator Ken Maddy S (G3).
4th dam: BASIE by In Reality. 9 wins at 5, Delaware H (G1), Helena S, 2nd Ladies H (G1), 3rd Arlington Oaks (G3). Dam of 6 winners:
JEANO (f Fappiano) Graded winner, see above.
Stud record
Essential Quality’s first crop are two-year-olds of 2025.
Conformation
Race record
His successful career
| Age | Starts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Earnings |
| Two | 3 | 3 | - | - | $1,335,144 |
| Three | 7 | 5 | - | 1 | $3,420,000 |
| Total | 10 | 8 | - | 1 | $4,755,144 |
At 2 Eclipse Champion two-year-old colt
- 1st
- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, beating Hot Rod Charlie, Keepmeinmind, Jackie’s Warrior, Rombauer, Dreamer’s Disease, King Fury, Classier, Sittin On Go, Reinvestment Risk, Next.
- 1st
- Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, by 3¼l, beating Keepmeinmind, Super Stock, Founder, King Fury.
- 1st
- Maiden Special Weight, 6f, Churchill Downs, by 4l.
At 3 Eclipse Champion three-year-old colt
- 1st
- Belmont S (G1), 12f, Belmont Park, beating Hot Rod Charlie, Rombauer, Known Agenda, Bourbonic, Rock Your World, Overtook.
- 1st
- Travers S (G1), 10f, Saratoga, beating Midnight Bourbon, Miles D, Keepmeinmind, King Fury, Masqueparade, Dynamic One.
- 1st
- Blue Grass S (G2), 9f, Keeneland, beating Highly Motivated, Rombauer, Hidden Stash, Keepmeinmind, Sittin On Go, Hush Of A Storm.
- 1st
- Jim Dandy S (G2), 9f, Saratoga, beating Keepmeinmind, Masqueparade, Weyburn, Dr Jack.
- 1st
- Southwest S (G3), 8½f, Oaklawn Park, by 4¼l, beating Spielberg, Jackie’s Warrior.
- 3rd
- Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), 10f, Del Mar, to Knicks Go, Medina Spirit, beating Hot Rod Charlie, Stilleto Boy, Art Collector, Tripoli, Max Player.
- 4th
- Kentucky Derby (G1), 10f, Churchill Downs, to Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie, beating O Besos, Midnight Bourbon, Keepmeinmind,
Helium, Known Agenda, Highly Motivated, Sainthood, Like The King, Bourbonic, Hidden Stash, Brooklyn Strong, Super Stock, Rock Your World, Dynamic One, Soup And Sandwich.
Video footage
Watch him go: see him at his best
Travers S (G1), 10f, Saratoga, 28 Aug 2021
Belmont S (G1), 12f, Belmont Park, 05 Jun 2021
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, 06 Nov 2020
Breeders’ Futurity (G1), 8½f, Keeneland, 03 Oct 2020
Jim Dandy S (G2), 9f, Saratoga, 31 Jul 2021
Blue Grass S (G2), 9f, Keeneland, 03 Apr 2021
Southwest S (G3), 8½f, Oaklawn Park, 27 Feb 2021
Maiden Special Weight, 6f, Churchill Downs, 05 Sep 2020
Special insights: interviews, expert opinion and more
See the full playlist on YouTube
Breeding forms
View and complete our breeding forms for the current season and send us your vet certificates.
Our stud office team is here to help on +1 859 255 8537.
Complete and submit this form as part of your booking. Please double-check pedigree and ownership details and use correct spelling.
If using the PDF version (click here), all paperwork must be emailed to darleyshedforms@godolphin.com
Complete the form and submit your mare’s breeding shed information.
If using the PDF version (click here), all shed paperwork (shed form and veterinary certificates if applicable) must be emailed to darleyshedforms@godolphin.com
Kentucky Department of Agriculture – 2024 testing requirements for imported mares to be bred.
C.E.M. testing and treatment requirements.
Importing from C.E.M. affected countries.
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print these forms. If you need to get this free program, click here.
Directions to Breeding Shed:
If using GPS, please use the following address for the Darley Breeding Shed entrance:
3555 Bowman Mill Rd
Lexington, KY 40513
Once through the gate, follow the signs directing you to the breeding shed.
