At 7-5 in the $2 million Juvenile, Jackie’s Warrior was made the shortest-priced favorite of the five Breeders’ Cup races for 2-year-olds to be run Friday at Keeneland. It’s homage to what the speedy colt has accomplished in just four starts, winning three graded stakes including dominant victories in the Hopeful and Champagne, Grade 1 fixtures in New York. But all four of his victories have come in one-turn races. The big question surrounding Jackie’s Warrior is will he be as brilliant going two turns? “We’re about to find out,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Jackie’s Warrior for Kirk and Judy Robison. “The horse gives you a tremendous amount of confidence in who he is and how he acts and how he trains.” The Juvenile has not been kind to favorites. Only four of the last 21 Juveniles have been won by the favorite. Last year, Dennis’ Moment, the 4-5 favorite, stumbled at the start and finished last. In 2017, Bolt d’Oro ran third at 3-5. Dehere, in 1993, was the last horse to enter the Juvenile with wins in the Saratoga Special, Hopeful, and Champagne. He finished eighth at 3-5. Shanghai Bobby, in 2012, was the last horse to win the Juvenile after winning the Hopeful and Champagne. In his victories, Jackie’s Warrior, a son of Maclean’s Music, has utilized his speed to open up quickly and leave his foes chasing in futility. With a short run to the first turn, it remains to be seen if Jackie’s Warrior will be able to open up on the competition as readily. “He’s very mature mentally and physically,” Asmussen said. “He’s given us great confidence, and he continues to do so. With that being said, we’re well aware of the speed influence in his pedigree and we’re obviously pleasantly surprised by how far he’s carrying it.” :: Play the Breeders’ Cup with DRF! Visit our Breeders’ Cup shop for Packages, PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more Asmussen also sends out Calibrate, an impressive debut winner at Saratoga who ran sixth in the Breeders’ Futurity. Jackie’s Warrior breaks from post 7 under Joel Rosario. Calibrate drew the 14 under Ricardo Santana Jr. Conversely, Essential Quality has already proven his ability to handle two turns as he demonstrated when galloping to a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Oct. 3 at Keeneland. That was just his second start, following a six-furlong maiden victory Sept. 5 at Churchill. “Our horse won going three-quarters,” Cox said. “For him to stretch out in his second start in the fashion he did was extremely impressive. He’s given us the confidence to do things like that with him. We’ll need to step up again, but he’s very capable of doing that.” Essential Quality, who breaks from post 5 under Luis Saez, is a son of Tapit owned and bred by Godolphin Racing. Last year, Godolphin had a top contender for this race in Maxfield only to scratch days before the race due to injury. Reinvestment Risk finished second to Jackie’s Warrior in the Hopeful and Champagne. Trainer Chad Brown felt his horse didn’t handle Belmont as well as he did Saratoga. Brown said since Saratoga’s main track was refurbished prior to this year’s meet, he thinks it’s akin to Keeneland. “If he takes to Keeneland’s track like Saratoga, I think we’re going to see a much-improved effort,” said Brown, who won the 2017 Juvenile with Good Magic. “He’s training outstanding.” Brown also thinks his horse will improve around two turns. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides from post 3. Trainer Michael McCarthy is confident Rombauer is capable of stepping up off a solid second-place finish in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita. His horse rallied from last and was cutting into the margin of Get Her Number in the late stages. “He’s tactical, he’s had dirt in his face, he’s not a horse that needs to lay extremely close,” McCarthy said. “To me, he’s a horse that’s certainly not going to be hampered by the mile and a sixteenth. Some horses in there are a little bit of an unknown, this horse will relish it.” McCarthy was naturally not pleased that his horse drew post 13. He can take solace in knowing that in 2015, the last time the Breeders’ Cup was held at Keeneland, California invader Nyquist won this race from post 12 – he had originally drawn post 13 – in a 14-horse field. Javier Castellano has the mount. Trainer Dale Romans has had some unfortunate luck in the Juvenile. In 2016, his Not This Time was beaten a neck by Classic Empire. Last year, Romans sent out the aforementioned Dennis’ Moment. :: BREEDERS’ CUP 2020: See DRF’s special section with top contenders, odds, comments, news, and more for each division Saturday, he’ll send out Sittin On Go, a son of Brody’s Cause who ran third in the 2015 Juvenile for Romans. Sittin On Go is 2 for 2 but has not run since he captured the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs. Romans said he might have brought horses who to this point displayed better talent than Sittin On Go to the Juvenile, “but I haven’t brought one doing any better and improving in the right direction and that could move forward off his last two excellent races,” he said. Trainer Ken McPeek has entered King Fury and Camp Hope in the Juvenile. King Fury is 2 for 3 with a victory in the Street Sense Stakes on Oct. 25. That win came 30 minutes before Camp Hope won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race in his debut on the same Churchill Downs card. McPeek believes the fact that the horses do not race on Lasix enables him to bring them back on shorter rest. He also believes both have the experience of navigating their way through big fields. Trainers Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher are each multiple winners of the Juvenile. Both are bringing horses in off maiden victories. Baffert has Classier who just won his career debut going 6 1/2 furlongs Oct. 25 at Santa Anita. Pletcher sends out Likeable off an 8 1/4-length maiden score going a mile Sept. 19 at Belmont. Keepmeinmind, second to Essential Quality in the Breeders’ Futurity, and Dreamer’s Disease, an allowance winner at Keeneland the same day, both go out for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Hot Rod Charlie, a maiden winner Oct. 2 at Santa Anita for Doug O’Neill, and Next, the 11 3/4-length winner of an off-the-turf race Oct. 24 at Keeneland for Wesley Ward, complete the field.