[4] The family traces back to influential broodmare La Troienne through the branch created by Stolen Base, which also includes Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail.
[2] Essential Quality made his first start on September 5 in a six-furlong Maiden Special Weight race at Churchill Downs.
Jackie's Warrior pressed a fast early pace set by Dreamer's Disease, then took the lead turning to the stretch.
"[5] "It's so exciting to win any Breeders' Cup race, but when you have a 2-year-old colt that is a homebred... it's the cherry on top," said Jimmy Bell, the president of Godolphin's U.S. operations.
Over a sloppy track, Jackie's Warrior went to the early lead while Essential Quality rated a few lengths behind at the outside of the pack.
Moving four-wide around the final turn, Essential Quality kicked to the lead and drew off to win by 4+1⁄4 lengths over Spielberg, with Jackie's Warrior in third.
[15] Essential Quality ran next in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 3, where he went off as the 1-2 favorite in a field of nine that was "short on pace", meaning there were no horses that preferred to run from the front.
Essential Quality broke poorly, then settled just behind and to the outside of Highly Motivated, who took the lead and set moderate fractions.
The two horses remained a half length apart for much of the race, until Essential Quality finally began to gain ground in deep stretch to win by a neck.
He went off as the 6-5 favorite in a field that included Preakness winner Rombauer and several of the leading contenders from the Kentucky Derby, although Medina Spirit had been banned from entering by the New York Racing Association due to a positive drug test.
Hot Rod Charlie went to the early lead, pressed by Rock Your World, and set the fastest fraction for the first quarter-mile (:22.79) in Belmont Stakes history.
They drew off from the rest of the field in a sustained stretch duel, with Essential Quality pulling away at the end to win by 1+1⁄4 lengths.
"[21][22] The win moved Essential Quality to the number three position, and the highest ranked three-year-old, in the NTRA Top Thoroughbred poll of horses in training in North America.
[23] Essential Quality made his next start in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga on August 28 where he was again the heavy favorite in a field of seven.
His main rival was Midnight Bourbon, who went to the lead and set comfortable fractions of 24.18 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 48.96 for the half.
Essential Quality bobbled at the start then moved to the rail in second place until they rounded the final turn.
[24][25] Cox commended jockey Luis Saez for ensuring the colt didn't lose ground as he had in the Jim Dandy, and for recognizing the need to stay close to Midnight Bourbon.
"[25] Essential Quality made the final race of his career, where he started the 19-10 favorite in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Racetrack against older horses on November 6, where he finished third to Knicks Go.
[27] An asterisk after the odds means Essential Quality was the post-time favorite *^ Essential Quality is inbred 4S x 5S x 4D x 5D to the stallion Mr Prospector, meaning that he appears fourth and fifth generation (via Fappiano)^ on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth and fifth generation (via Fappiano)^ on the dam side of his pedigree.