In the $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) held at Del Mar on Friday, Truly Quality, the favorite, successfully defended his title. Positioned comfortably behind the pace set by Baladia, jockey Mirko DeMuro kept Truly Quality in seventh place, roughly five lengths off the lead, before gradually advancing during the second climb on the backstretch with half a mile remaining. Requist, who had maintained second place, began narrowing the gap on Balladeer to half a length, while Truly Quality raced just outside Requist. Taking the lead from Requist around the final turn, Truly Quality triumphed by 1 3/4 lengths over the surprise 40-1 contender, Fracieest.
DeMuro described Truly Quality as a horse with a single cruising speed, noting that an early lead causes him to falter, and a too-slow pace could prevent timely advancement. Thanks to Balladeer’s pace, Truly Quality found the ideal positioning to make his move, proving himself a first-class competitor determined to win.
The 5-year-old Quality Road gelding, bred by George Strawbridge’s Augustine Stables and trained by Jonathan Thomas, improved his career record to six wins, four seconds, and three thirds from 16 starts. He collected $120,000 for first place, boosting his lifetime earnings to $630,495.
Trainer Jonathan Thomas praised DeMuro’s skillful ride, highlighting how the jockey capitalized on the slower pace to secure a favorable position and rely on the horse’s stamina. Despite losing some ground early due to his outside post position (#7), Truly Quality delivered an impressive performance.
In the race, jockey Leonard Powell’s Flashiest, who was a late addition, stayed among the leaders on the backstretch but had to steady after contact with Nine-Eleven Turbo. Flashiest made a wide move into the stretch and secured second place by a head over Nine-Eleven Turbo, who finished third, narrowly ahead of the fourth-place Requisition.
Truly Quality paid $5.80 to win and comes from a notable lineage, being bred from Augustine Stables’ Smart Strike mare, Truly Together, who is a progeny of the 2008 turf filly champion Forever Together.
The pace fractions were :24.56, :48.86, 1:14.24, 1:40.05, and 2:05.07, with a final time of 2:29.67 for the 1 1/2-mile race.
Fan Take: Truly Quality’s back-to-back victories in a major turf race underscore the value of consistency and expert race tactics in thoroughbred racing. His performance not only excites fans but also raises the bar for future turf competitions, highlighting the thrilling depth of talent in the sport.
