Tipsheet: The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

A massive field of 14 juveniles will travel 1 1/16 miles on the Keeneland main surface in Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

Juvenile Plays

• #7 Jackie’s Warrior
• #3 Reinvestment Risk
• #9 Sittin On Go
• #13 Rombauer
• #5 Essential Quality

Juvenile Wagers

• $5 Exacta Key Box: 7 with 3,5,9,13 ($40)
• $.50-cent Superfecta: 3,7 with 3,7 with 5,9,13 with all ($33)

Juvenile Contenders

#1 CAMP HOPE is a promising prospect following an excellent debut tally on the Churchill Downs dirt for Kenny McPeek. The $200,000 son of Summer Front closed with fine energy in his facile first offering, and the bay drew the rail for his stakes debut. Robby Albarado will be in the stirrups.

#2 KING FURY is the second from the McPeek shedrow who exits a stakes tally in the Street Sense beneath the Twin Spires. $950,000 son of Curlin was a non-factor in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on the course two back, but he can’t be dismissed in his second local assignment under Brian Hernandez.

#3 REINVESTMENT RISK has finished runner-up in both the Hopeful (G1) and Champagne (G1) following a sharp debut score for Chad Brown. The son of young sire Upstart has trained well in the interim, and he figures to be in the hunt for the top prize while making his two-turn debut on Friday. Regular pilot Irad Ortiz Jr. will be in the silks.

#4 LIKEABLE broke his maiden with authority at Belmont Park in preparation of his stakes bow. The Todd Pletcher pupil has been training in sharp fashion in the interim, and his pedigree is slanted towards a horse who will thrive going two-turns, as well. Go-to jockey John Velazquez has the call.

#5 ESSENTIAL QUALITY has looked the part from a pair of stout tallies for Brad Cox, led by a dominant score in the Breeders’ Futurity on the surface. Godolphin homebred has shown versatility from his two offerings to date, and he readied for his biggest test with a bullet morning drill most recently. Luis Saez retains the mount.

#6 KEEPMEINMIND enters as a maiden but has run well in both tries for Diodoro. Breeders’ Futurity runner-up showed an affinity for the Keeneland surface last month, and the son of Laoban will add blinkers in hopes of breaking his maiden on the big stage. Jose Ortiz riding is a bonus.

#7 JACKIE’S WARRIOR has been sublime this campaign and will hope to put an exclamation point on a championship season in the Juvenile. Steve Asmussen trainee has not been headed in his last three outings, and the dual Grade 1 hero shows a pair of strong morning drills on the local surface too. Joel Rosario will guide the powerful son of Maclean’s Music.

#8 CLASSIER looked just that when airing in a first offering at Santa Anita for Baffert. The intriguing son of Empire Maker overcame a slow break to decimate his foes on debut, and the wildcard in the field will now stretch out and jump up in class off of short rest. Florent Geroux has the call.

#9 SITTIN ON GO has rallied for impressive scores in both of his starts for Dale Romans. The Iroquois (G3) star comes in fresh with a nice string of morning drills, and the late runner will get a healthy pace to rally into on Friday. Top-three contender will have Corey Lanerie in the controls.

#10 DREAMER’S DISEASE proved more than capable of handling the Keeneland dirt when leading at every call in a smart allowance tally most recently. The second from the Diodoro shedrow flopped in his initial stakes endeavor two prior, but improvement off of his latest try will give the son of Laoban a chance to make the frame at a big price.

#11 NEXT made good in his first run on the dirt when drawing off by 11 lengths on this oval in his latest test. Gray son of Not This Time has improved with each lifetime outing to date, but he will likely need another big step forward to be a contender from this post on Friday. Gerardo Corrales stays in the irons.

#12 HOT ROD CHARLIE added blinkers and graduated going one-mile at Santa Anita last time out. Oxbow colt faces a tall task in the Juvenile, however, in his second try with the hood on.

#13 ROMBAUER appears to be a live longshot who will make his second run on the dirt for McCarthy. Twirling Candy colt was a fine second in the American Pharoah (G1), and expected improvement will find the bay making a run inside the final furlong beneath Javier Castellano.

#14 CALIBRATE got the dreaded outside post for Asmussen. The $340,000 son of Distorted Humor was a fantastic debut victor at Saratoga prior to being outrun in the Breeders’ Futurity, and he will need to break well in order to receive a good trip from this slot. Ricardo Santana stays in the silks.

---

Check out Brisnet's Ultimate Breeders' Cup Guide here, or view our handicapping notes here on TwinSpires.com.