Photo:

Tim Sudduth / Eclipse Sportswire

After a stretch of mostly lean years when the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile seemed to mean little toward future success, America’s most prestigious race for 2-year-olds appears to be on an upswing in recent seasons. Led by the carryover quality of horses such as Essential Quality and Fierceness, things have been looking up.

I believe it speaks to the overall quality of the crop when top juveniles come back as top sophomores. Perhaps I was spoiled growing up with the likes of Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Affirmed and Spectacular Bid.

We won’t know for sure about this foal crop until next spring at the earliest, but this year’s feature race on Breeders’ Cup Friday gives every indication of having the talent to continue a positive trend.

The expected favorite in the $2 million race is East Avenue. A strapping Godolphin homebred, the son of Medaglia d’Oro has turned heads since arriving at Del Mar for the championship-deciding race. He is a powerfully built bay who moves over the track as smoothly as a Cadillac.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, he began his career in style at Ellis Park. Sent off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of 10, East Avenue went right to the lead and finished off the six-furlong maiden running strongly down the stretch. The eight-length romp set him up for a graded-stakes attempt in his second career start.

Stretched to two turns for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, the 5-2 second choice won the sprint to get the lead early on the speed-favoring track. From there, he controlled the race under rider Tyler Gaffalione and cruised home to win by better than five lengths. Having made the trip successfully, he deserves serious respect in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and beyond.

Chancer McPatrick is the unbeaten second choice on the morning line, but he has little in common with East Avenue. Purchased for $725,000 as a 2-year-old in training, the first-crop son of McKinzie has no early speed.

The Chad Brown trainee also has never been two turns. In each of his three races, he has fallen way back early and come with an irresistible late rush that carried him to victory. That could be difficult going two turns for the first time against this talented field, but still he cannot be discounted.

A strong early pace is expected, and Chancer McPatrick gives full indication that he is a horse who will handle the move to longer races. In both of his Grade 1 wins, the seven-furlong Hopeful and the 1-mile Champagne, he was tested by good horses in the stretch and responded with strong finishes.

And then there’s Jonathan’s Way. The Ohio-bred is not Godolphin or Chad Brown. Trainer Phil Bauer and owner Rigney Racing have been making waves in Kentucky in recent years, however, and this dark bay could be their best one yet.

The son of Vekoma looked good enough from an early age to bring $290,000 as a weanling. His potential came to fruition in a maiden debut at Saratoga. An unfortunate beginning would have left lesser horses coming back for another try against maidens again the next time. Instead, he circled the field and won going away.

Breaking considerably better in his second career start, Jonathan’s Way controlled the Iroquois (G3) from the beginning and handily kept the talented Owen Almighty in his rearview mirror the entire Churchill Downs stretch. Having overcome adversity in his debut and showing strong speed in his next, he should be ready for anything in this difficult test. Like the top two, he looks to have an unlimited future.

Although the top three cast a pretty imposing shadow in Friday’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, there are others who should not be dismissed.

Ferocious has been the beaten favorite by both Chancer McPatrick in the Hopeful and East Avenue in the Breeders’ Futurity.

In both, though, his trips were far from the best. A very impressive winner in his debut, what he went through in his two runner-up finishes should have him well educated for another try against the big boys.

Finally, what would a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in California be without trainer Bob Baffert? The five-time winner of the race finally will be eligible for the Kentucky Derby again next spring, and he has three in Friday’s big race.

Citizen Bull, Gaming and Getaway Car lack the spectacular performances of the top three, but each is talented and well bred. They will have the advantage of their home turf of Southern California for their dominant trainer, and each already is a graded-stakes winner.

Throw in a romping winner of his debut in Japan named Shin Believe, and you have all the makings of an excellent edition of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Will these be the same horses we are talking about next spring on the road to the Kentucky Derby? You never know for sure, but as good as they have looked so far, I believe this will be an edition that stands up to the test of time.