Quip

Quip won the first two starts of his career impressively before encountering trouble and finishing a disappointing seventh in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November 2017 in his stakes debut.

Given a 3 1/2-month freshening after the disappointing Kentucky Jockey Club, Quip returned for his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. He pressed pacesetter World of Trouble from second, battled that rival through the stretch before taking command, and held off the late charge of Sam F. Favis Stakes winner Flameaway to prevail by a length and earn 50 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Quip made his final start before the Kentucky Derby in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby and pressed undefeated Magnum Moon from his outside flank in the early stages of the 1 1/8-mile race. Magnum Moon shook free of Quip entering the stretch, but the Tampa Bay Derby winner battled gamely to the finish line to hold on for second.

Quip made his next start in the 2018 Preakness Stakes. He bobbled at the start but recovered and raced in fourth early on the sloppy track before fading badly late and finishing eighth. He was given an extended layoff following the Preakness.

Quip returned on Feb. 23 at Gulfstream Park and ran third in the Grade 3 Hal's Hope Stakes. He regained his winning form on April 13 at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap in which he track the pace from fourth, took command in the stretch, and held off fast-finishing Lone Sailor by a nose to prevail.

The 4-year-old made his next start in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes on June 15 at Churchill Downs, and dueled with Tom’s d’Etat from the outset and well into the stretch before succumbing to an onrushing Seeking the Soul by a neck in the final strides and settling for a game second.

Quip is by Distorted Humor out of the winning Indian Charlie mare Princess Ash, a half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to 2013 Wood Memorial Stakes runner-up Normandy Invasion.