Elusive Quality

Elusive Quality was bred in Kentucky by Silver Springs Stud Farm and Marie Costelloe. He was owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who put him into training with Bill Mott. Elusive Quality was sired by Gone West, a stakes winning son of Mr. Prospector. Elusive Quality's dam, Touch of Greatness, was an unraced daughter of Hero's Honor. She was a granddaughter of 1981 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Natashka.

Elusive Quality raced twenty times and won nine times, including two stakes races, on both turf and dirt. He made his first start as a three-year-old on May 3, 1996 in a maiden special weight race at Belmont Park, which he won in front-running fashion by {{frac|11|1|2}} lengths. His time for {{frac|1|1|16}} miles over the sloppy main track was a solid 1:41.20.{{cite web |title=Chart for May 3, 1996 at Belmont Park |url=https://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=BEL&raceDate=05/03/1996&cy=USA&rn=4 |website=www.equibase.com |accessdate=22 August 2020}} He was second in his next start, then won his third start, an allowance race at Belmont. Stepped up in class, he finished second in the King's Bishop Stakes at Saratota, nosed out at the wire by Honour and Glory.{{cite web |title=Chart of the King's Bishop Stakes |url=https://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=SAR&raceDate=08/24/1996&cy=USA&rn=9 |website=www.equibase.com |accessdate=22 August 2020}} He was then eighth in the Vosburgh Stakes before being returned to allowance company, in which he finished second and first in his last two starts of the year.

Elusive Quality began his four-year-old campaign on February 21, 1997 in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park. He set a fast pace and continued to open up ground on the rest of the field to win by five lengths. His time of 1:20.17 for seven furlongs set a track record, and earned him the highest Beyer Speed Figure of the year for a sprinter.{{cite web |title=Chart for February 21, 1997, Gulfstream Park |url=https://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=GP&raceDate=02/21/1997&cy=USA&rn=10 |website=www.equibase.com |accessdate=22 August 2020}} He was winless in his other four starts that year, with the highlight being a third place finish in the Tom Fool Handicap.

Elusive Quality won four of seven starts at age five. He started the year with an allowance race win on February 5, 1998 at Gulfstream Park, then another allowance win on April 29 at Churchill Downs. Stepped up in class for the Metropolitan Handicap on May 25, he finished eighth. Just six days later though, Mott decided to switch Elusive Quality from dirt to turf. He responded by earning his first graded stakes win in the Jaipur Handicap, prevailing by a head in a time of 1:20.99 for seven furlongs over turf.{{cite web |title=Chart for the Jaipur Handicap |url=https://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=BEL&raceDate=05/31/1998&cy=USA&rn=8 |website=www.equibase.com |accessdate=22 August 2020}} On July 4 in the Poker Handicap, he went straight to the lead and won by six lengths while setting what was then a world record of 1:31.63 for one mile on the turf.{{cite web |title=Chart of the Poker Handicap |url=https://www.equibase.com/premium/chartEmb.cfm?track=BEL&raceDate=07/04/1998&cy=USA&rn=8 |website=www.equibase.com |accessdate=22 August 2020}} "With this horse," said jockey Jerry Bailey, "you just break and hang on. If he feels like it, he wins. It seems he's more comfortable now that he runs on turf."{{cite web |last1=Durso |first1=Joseph |title=HORSE RACING; Elusive Quality's Poker Run Is One for the Record Books |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/05/sports/horse-racing-elusive-quality-s-poker-run-is-one-for-the-record-books.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=22 August 2020 |date=5 July 1998}}

He finished his career with a fourth place finish in the Woodbine Mile and a sixth in the Kelso Handicap. His career earnings were $413,284.

Elusive Quality retired to stud in 1999 for an initial fee of $10,000. He initially stood at Gainsborough Farm in Versailles, Kentucky before being relocated in 2007 to Darley America's Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. During the South American breeding season, he was shuttled to Darley Australia or Stud TNT in Brazil.{{cite web |last1=Hunter |first1=Avalyn |title=Elusive Quality (horse) |url=http://www.americanclassicpedigrees.com/elusive-quality.html |website=American Classic Pedigrees |accessdate=22 August 2020 |language=en}} By 2005, his stud fee had increased to $100,000. At the time of his death in 2018, he had sired 51 graded stakes winners including eight champions. He was also the broodmare sire of 73 black-type winners.{{cite web |title=Elusive Quality Euthanized at Age 25 |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/226493/elusive-quality-euthanized-at-age-25 |website=BloodHorse.com |accessdate=22 August 2020 |language=en}}

c = colt, f = filly, g = gelding

Elusive Quality was euthanized on March 14, 2018 due to the infirmities of old age.

{{Pedigree|name=Elusive Quality, bay stallion, foaled January 27, 1993{{Cite web|url=http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm/Elusive%20Quality?page_state=DISPLAY_REPORT&reference_number=1396994®istry=T&horse_name=Elusive%20Quality&dam_name=Touch%20of%20Greatness&foaling_year=1993&include_sire_line=Y&include_truenick=Y|title=Elusive Quality pedigree|website=Equineline|language=en|access-date=2018-03-14}}|f=Gone West
bay 1984|m=Touch of Greatness
bay 1986|ff=Mr. Prospector
b. 1970|fm=Secrettame
ch. 1978|mf=Hero's Honor
b. 1980|mm=Ivory Wand
b. 1973|fff=Raise a Native
ch. 1961|ffm=Gold Digger
b. 1962|fmf=Secretariat
ch. 1970|fmm=Tamerett
dkb/br. 1962|mff=Northern Dancer
b. 1961|mfm=Glowing Tribute
b. 1973|mmf=Sir Ivor
b. 1965|mmm=Natashka
dkb/br. 1963|ffff=Native Dancer|fffm=Raise You|ffmf=Nashua|ffmm=Sequence|fmff=Bold Ruler|fmfm=Somethingroyal|fmmf=Tim Tam|fmmm=Mixed Marriage|mfff=Nearctic|mffm=Natalma|mfmf=Graustark|mfmm=Admiring|mmff=Sir Gaylord|mmfm=Attica|mmmf=Dedicate|mmmm=Natasha (Family 13-c){{cite web |title=Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Stray Shot - Family 13-c |url=http://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Families/Family13c.htm |website=www.bloodlines.net |accessdate=22 August 2020}}}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.harasdegrandcamp.com/etalons/indexevasive.html Evasive's page on Haras de Grandcamp's website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150102220328/http://www.darleyamerica.com/stallions/our-stallions/elusive-quality/Pedigree Elusive Quality's page on Darley America's website]
• [http://www.pedigreequery.com/index.php?query_type=horse&search_bar=horse&h=ELUSIVE+QUALITY Elusive Quality's pedigree]

Category:1993 racehorse births

Category:2018 racehorse deaths

Category:Racehorses trained in the United States

Category:Racehorses bred in Kentucky

Category:United States Champion Thoroughbred Sires

Category:Thoroughbred family 13-c

Category:Horse racing track record setters