Jensen looking to cap comeback with a bang

After a 14-year hiatus, Daniel Jensen is back training horses. He would like nothing better than to mark his comeback by pulling one of the biggest upsets in one of Thoroughbred racing's marquee races.

Jensen is the trainer and part owner of Twice Unbridled, a maiden who is scheduled to make his next start in the $1.5 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30. He will face the likes of Roman Ruler, Proud Accolade, Afleet Alex, and Sun King. Twice Unbridled may be the longest shot on the board in any of the eight Breeders' Cup races. Daily Racing Form's national handicapper, Mike Watchmaker, lists him at 100-1 on the morning line in the eight-horse field.

But that doesn't deter Jensen, who believes his horse has a chance to run well in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile.

"If they set an honest pace, they're going to have to watch him," Jensen said. "I know he's still very green, but the colt can run quite a bit."

Twice Unbridled is winless in two starts. He is a son of Unbridled's Song, who won the 1995 Juvenile in just his third career start. Jensen and his partners, Renn McBride and Lyle Labrum, spent just $20,000 for him at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky sale in July 2003.

Twice Unbridled debuted on Aug. 28 at Del Mar, finishing third in a 5 1/2-furlong race. He came back on Oct. 3 in a one-mile race at Santa Anita, finishing fifth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths despite a terrible start.

"He was about 13 lengths behind the last horse, and he stayed there till the three-eighths pole and he came flying," Jensen said. "He ended up fifth, but he was just flying like gangbusters. He has a kick that's unreal.''

Jensen does have Victor Espinoza to ride. Espinoza was responsible for the second-biggest upset in Breeders' Cup history, when he guided Spain to victory in the 2000 Distaff.

From 1981 to 1990, Jensen trained horses who ran in Chicago, Colorado, northern California, and Southern California. According to Daily Racing Form and Equibase statistics, Jensen trained 72 winners from 778 starters during that time.

In 1990, Jensen gave up training to spend more time with his wife and four children. During that time, he worked for a company that developed a distinctive concrete block used in commercial and residential buildings. He also pinhooked horses.

But Jensen always had a desire to return to training. With his kids now older, Jensen and some partners attended the yearling sales last year. Jensen said he has about 40 horses, many of which he has in training at the San Luis Ray Downs training center in San Diego.

In other Juvenile news:

* Aidan O'Brien, speaking from his Ballydoyle headquarters in Ireland, said Juvenile pre-entrant Scandinavia may not make the trip for the race.

"He's not definite by any means," O'Brien said. "I'd probably say he's more likely not to go than to go at the moment."

O'Brien said he would not make a final determination until after he breezed the colt on Sunday.

* Trainer Bob Baffert said he may send Roman Ruler to Hollywood Park to get in his final workout, if the Santa Anita track does not sufficiently dry out by the weekend.