A year after Godolphin Racing had to scratch the top contender Maxfield out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita due to injury, that organization was able to celebrate a victory in this race when Essential Quality stormed down the center of the Keeneland main track under Luis Saez to win the $2 million Juvenile by three-quarters of a length. Hot Rod Charlie, who wasn’t even originally selected into the body of the Juvenile field when pre-entries were announced on Oct. 28, finished second at 94-1. It was 1 1/4 lengths back to Keepmeinmind in third. Jackie’s Warrior, the 4-5 favorite off of victories in the Grade 1 Hopeful and Champagne, failed in his two-turn debut and finished fourth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths. Rombauer was fifth, followed, in order, by Dreamer’s Disease, King Fury, Classier, Sittin On Go, Reinvestment Risk, Calibrate, Camp Hope, Likeable, and Next. Essential Quality, a Godolphin homebred son of Tapit trained by Brad Cox, added the Juvenile to earlier victories in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity and a maiden race on Kentucky Derby Day (Sept. 5) at Churchill Downs. :: Play the Breeders’ Cup with DRF! Visit our Breeders’ Cup shop for Packages, PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more Essential Quality figures to become the 29th winner of the Juvenile to earn an Eclipse Award as the champion 2-year-old male. He also is now the winterbook favorite for next year’s Kentucky Derby, scheduled to return to the first Saturday in May. The win gave Cox his second Breeders’ Cup victory on Friday’s card, having taken the $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf one race earlier with Aunt Pearl. He has now five Breeders’ Cup victories and has Monomoy Girl (Distaff) among others on Saturday. In a pre-race interview on NBC Sports, Cox indicated that he wanted Essential Quality to be close to the lead Friday because “that’s where you need to be.” But after a half-mile, Essential Quality was eighth, nine lengths back. The good news was the pace was fast and contested as Dreamer’s Disease, under David Cohen, went for the lead pressed by Likeable through quarter in 22.58 seconds and a half-mile in 45.31. “I wasn’t sure he was into the bridle and carrying himself, I was very concerned,” Cox said.  “I think I saw 45-and-change for the half-mile and I could see Luis starting to pick up. When he was starting to pick off a couple of horses, I thought this horse was going to come. I don’t know if he’s going to get there, but he’s going to make a run at them.” Entering the far turn, several horses were making runs. Jackie’s Warrior, under Joel Rosario, moved by Likeable into second. Hot Rod Charlie, who down the backside was in front of Essential Quality began to move under Tyler Gaffalione and Saez followed him. Approaching the quarter pole, Jackie’s Warrior had a head in front, but Hot Rod Charlie took over from him inside the eighth pole. Just strides after Hot Rod Charlie had taken the lead, Essential Quality moved past him to get the victory. “Once they straightened up, it looked like the horses on the lead were getting a little leg weary and he stayed on,” Cox said. “He’s got a tremendous amount of stamina, I’m very proud of the horse.” Essential Quality covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.09 – good for a 95 Beyer Speed Figure – and returned $9.40 to win. Hot Rod Charlie paid $51.60 to place and made for a $299.90 exacta for $1. Jimmy Bell, president of Godolphin’s U.S. operation, said winning a race of this magnitude with a homebred is especially meaningful to Godolphin owner Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai. “This is where he gets his enjoyment, he loves his homebreds, he loves his breeding operation, he loves the international stage, he truly loves competing in racing here in America,” Bell said. “To have a colt of this caliber and talent which Godolphin is the breeder of, there’s a lot of nice things in there.” Saez told NBC’s Donna Brothers that winning his first Breeders’ Cup race “means everything. I feel so blessed to be here and have it with this horse. First day when I rode him, I knew was going to be a super horse.” Saez said Essential Quality was more focused Friday than he was in the Breeders’ Futurity. “At the half-mile pole when I started to let him roll, he was really responding so well,” Saez said. “When we came to the stretch I saw the favorite Jackie’s Warrior, and we were very close [to him], I knew we had it.” Hot Rod Charlie, a son of Oxbow, was coming off a maiden victory at Santa Anita in his fourth career start. He only got into the race when the connections of Smiley Sobotka opted not to enter after they did pre-enter. Doug O’Neill, trainer of Hot Rod Charlie, said Gaffalione did a good job getting over from post 12 and down the backside “he looked more like 9-5 than 95-1. “If anything, he was a little eager down the backside, he had to get him to settle a little bit,” O’Neill added. “He accelerated big time. [Gaffalione] said he never saw the horse that went by him, he tried to reengage but it was too late.” Keepmeinmind, under Jose Ortiz, rallied from last to get third over Jackie’s Warrior, who was three lengths clear of Rombauer. Jackie’s Warrior, who had won his previous four races in front-running fashion, found himself chasing a hot pace in the Juvenile, his first start around two turns. “Pace makes the race and it did not set up well for us today,” Asmussen said.