Quality Road, currently the world’s top-rated racehorse, further enhanced his claim to that title when dominating the G1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park’s Memorial Day meet.
Always close to the pace from the gate, the four-year-old son of Elusive Quality took up the running early on in proceedings with jockey John Velazquez able to dictate from the front and kick off the turn for home.
The fast-finishing Musket Man made a valiant effort to peg back Quality Road but was never able to get within a length of the winner, who was at least a length and a half clear at the wire when stopping the clock at 1m 33.11s.
Bred by Edward P. Evans, who is also the breeder of Elusive Gift, who became Elusive Quality’s 60th Stakes winner at the weekend, Quality Road is out of Kobla, by Strawberry Road. He has now won three times this season, his other victories coming in the G1 Donn Handicap and the G3 Hal’s Hope Handicap.
Elusive Quality, who stands at Darley America, is the sire of G1 winners Raven's Pass, Smarty Jones, Elusive City, Maryfield and Camarilla.
