Barbara D. Livingston
Essential Quality (outside) trains last weekend. The Jim Dandy will be his first start since winning the Belmont Stakes on June 5.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The goals are bigger the second half of the year for Essential Quality than Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes, but trainer Brad Cox believes his Belmont Stakes winner is ready to pick up where he left off eight weeks ago.
Essential Quality, who outlasted Hot Rod Charlie in a stirring stretch duel to win the Belmont on June 5, was one of six 3-year-olds entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Jim Dandy, the local stepping-stone at Saratoga to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 28.