Quality Road took the Amsterdam and more in his career
By Stan Hudy
Formerly the Screen King, the Amsterdam was renamed in 1998 to honor the nearby town of Amsterdam, which itself named after the capital of The Netherlands. Contested at seven furlongs in its first edition in 1993, the race was run at six furlongs from 1994-2005 and at 6 ½ furlongs from then on. In 1994, the race was run in two divisions.
It is easy to say that trainer Todd Pletcher likes Amsterdam, he has won the Grade 2 six and a-half furlong race on four different occasions, Coal Front (2017), Forty Tales (2013), Discreetly Mine (2010) and Quality Road (2009). Steve Asmussen is also a fan of the city to the West of Saratoga Springs, winning in 2015 with Holy Boss and 2005 with Santana Strings and Bwana Charlie in 2004.
Pletcher’s Quality Road made a name for himself, capturing the Amsterdam for his third consecutive stakes win in 2009 after capturing the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
After finishing third in the Travers and second at the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1) he made three straight trips to the winner’s circle winning the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G2), Donn Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream and the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park.
He returned to Saratoga in 2010 to finish second in the Whitney Handicap (G1) before winning the Woodward Stakes (G1) closing out his racing career at Churchill Downs in the Breeder’s Cup Classic (G1) and a 12th-place finish.
He was entered into stud in 2011 at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky and again saw his stock rise, from a mere $35,000 and after producing the leading first crop sire in 2014 and leading third-crop sire in 2016 his stud fee rose to $150,000 in 2019.
One of his top sires includes the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner City of Light who has 11 starts and always hit the board, 6-4-1 and earned more than $5 million to date.
Promises Fulfilled won last year’s Amsterdam with Luis Saez aboard by three and a-quarter lengths before returning to claim the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1) a month later.