Essential Quality Holds Off Hot Rod Charlie to Win 2021 Belmont Stakes

The 2021 Triple Crown season wrapped up on Saturday with Essential Quality winning a thrilling Belmont Stakes.  

Hot Rod Charlie led most of the way, but Essential Quality pulled even as they made their way down the final stretch. Luis Saez was able to push Essential Quality just past Hot Rod Charlie before they got to the finish line. 

While much of the focus in horse racing over the past month has revolved around Bob Baffert and Medina Spirit for negative reasons, Saturday's run from Belmont Park gave Saez and trainer Brad Cox their moment in the spotlight. 

In addition to having the glory of winning the Test of Champions, Essential Quality also earned $800,000 in purse money for ownership group Godolphin LLC. 

2021 Belmont Stakes Results and Payouts

Win: Essential Quality ($4.60, $3.00, $2.60)

Place: Hot Rod Charlie (--, $4.10, $2.90)

Show: Rombauer (--, --, $3.50)

4th: Known Agenda

5th: Bourbonic

6th: Rock Your World

7th: Overtook

8th: France Go de Ina

Essential Quality started his career with five consecutive wins before a fourth-place showing at the Kentucky Derby. He skipped the Preakness Stakes in order to have more preparation time for the grueling 1.5-mile Belmont Stakes. 

Cox was very confident earlier in the week about his horse's ability to get back in the winner circle. 

“This colt is all racehorse,” Cox told Tom Wilkin of Horse Racing Nation. “He wins his races in different ways. He is able to sit off a hot pace, he can lay close to the pace. He is able to adapt. He brings it every time. I am pretty confident he is going to run his race.”

Cox's win on Saturday marks his first victory in a Triple Crown event. 

This marks the second time that Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie have finished 1-2 in a race. The first time came at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in November in the breakout event for both horses. 

In that race, Essential Quality ran close to the rail on the inside to get past Hot Rod Charlie down the stretch after starting the race by bumping another horse. 

Essential Quality, who was a 2-1 favorite to win, continues a long streak of success at the Belmont Stakes for horses sired by Tapit. Tonalist (2014), Creator (2016) and Tapwrit (2017) are all offspring of Tapit who won the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Despite coming up just short Saturday, Hot Rod Charlie has had a fantastic seven-month stretch dating back to the Breeders' Cup. He hasn't finished worse than third in each of his past five races, including a victory at the Louisiana Derby on March 20. 

Rombauer also had an excellent Triple Crown season, despite skipping the Kentucky Derby. The Michael McCarthy-trained horse won the Preakness Stakes three weeks ago and finished third in the Belmont Stakes.