Top Two 2020 BC Juvenile Runners Meet in BC Classic

Last year's TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) at Keeneland proved to be a preview of the spring classics and the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

In a crop that has seen its form carry on the track, last year's Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old male Essential Quality   has followed with victories this year in the Belmont Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) and Runhappy Travers (G1) stakes. Last year's Juvenile runner-up, Hot Rod Charlie , earned placings in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and in the Belmont. In the summer he added a victory in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).

Following their success last fall, this spring, and this summer, the two accomplished 3-year-olds will try to add the biggest of autumn victories in the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 6 at Del Mar. Brad Cox, who conditions Essential Quality, and Doug O'Neill, who conditions Hot Rod Charlie, talked about their horses' success during a Breeders' Cup press conference Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

Cox said it's been impressive to watch Essential Quality secure the championship last year and continue to clear each hurdle this year in a 3-year-old season that started with a victory in the Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 27 at Oaklawn Park. The Breeders' Cup Classic, where he is the 3-1 second-choice on the morning line, will be his seventh start of the year.

"It's very rare," Cox said of Essential Quality having enough precociousness to excel at 2, the durability to compete in two of the three spring classics, and then continue to excel in the summer and into the fall. "He kind of stamped himself from the beginning as very special. As a 2-year-old our goal was to get into the Breeders' Cup and that worked out well. He deserved to be 2-year-old champion and was."

Cox noted that the horse then kind of plotted his own course by bouncing out of races.

"Then we planned to get him to the Kentucky Derby and he got there. He ran a winning race but we didn't have the racing luck that day. Then we fast forward, and our next plan was trying to get to the Travers. Honestly, he was doing so well out of the Derby, I thought we were going to have trouble keeping his feet on the ground until the Travers. So we decided to go to Belmont and he passed that test, the Test of a Champion. So he's had a fantastic year. I mean, he's had a fantastic career."

If Essential Quality can secure victory Saturday, he'll be the first Juvenile winner to go on and win the Classic. Cox believes that accomplishment would secure the 3-year-old son of Tapit   a lofty spot in terms of his legacy.

"If he wins the Classic, I think we would have to look at him as one of the better horses in the last 25 years," Cox said. "I mean, this is serious. These are serious records he's putting together."

O'Neill made some history with 2015 Juvenile winner Nyquist  , who would become the second Juvenile winner to land the Kentucky Derby (Street Sense   was the first in 2006-07). 

"I think a lot of people are just being patient," O'Neill said of the handling of the talented 2-year-olds of 2020. "I think that patience has enabled these horses like Essential Quality and Hot Rod Charlie and some of these others as well."

Fourth-place 2020 Juvenile finisher Jackie's Warrior  has been pointed toward sprinting this season and has responded with four graded stakes wins, including the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. He's the 6-5 morning-line favorite for the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).

While they won't be competing in the Breeders' Cup, last year's third-place Juvenile finisher, Keepmeinmind , has continued to be a factor in top races, finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Travers. The fifth-places finisher in the 2020 Juvenile? That would be Preakness winner Rombauer .

"That Juvenile is always a strong race," O'Neill said. "So if you're involved in that, you have a pretty good chance of having a tremendous 3-year-old season."