Breeders' Cup 2020 Entries: Lineup Odds and Predictions for Friday Races

The two-day showcase of the world's best racing horses begins Friday with the preeminent young thoroughbreds competing in five Breeders' Cup races.

The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is the showpiece of the quintet of races to be held at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky.

The Juvenile could serve as an early indicator for which horses will contend for the 2021 Triple Crown. The four other races set to be held Friday are the Juvenile Fillies, Juvenile Fillies Turf, Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Friday's coverage on NBCSN begins at 2 p.m., with the first race set to go off at 2:30 p.m. ET. Odds for every race can be found on BreedersCup.com.

Predictions

Juvenile: Essential Quality (4-1) 

Essential Quality is among the favorites to win Friday's top race.

The 4-1 shot has an advantage over the other competitors since he won one of the preparation races at Keeneland in October. The familiarity with the course and the form gained from back-to-back wins should give Essential Quality an edge.

To win the Juvenile, Essential Quality almost certainly needs to produce a time within one minute and 44 seconds. Six of the past seven winners of the race finished in 1:42 or 1:43. Last year's champion, Storm the Court, finished slightly outside that time.

Reinvestment Risk and Jackie's Warrior are expected to be the other main challengers. The latter is a slight favorite at 7-5, while the former comes in at 9-2.

Jackie's Warrior owns four victories, but none of them have come at Keeneland. If Essential Quality thrives off his comfort level at Keeneland, he may run a smoother race and finish on top.

Whichever horse is victorious should carve a nice path to a Triple Crown start in 2021. Nyquist won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2015 and Kentucky Derby in 2016. Three of the past four winners of this race finished in the top five at Churchill Downs the next year.

Juvenile Fillies: Simply Ravishing (5-2)

The first of the two Friday races with a $2 million purse also pits a strong horse with experience at Keeneland against other impressive contenders.

Simply Ravishing starts on the inside post for the Juvenile Fillies one month after taking first in the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland. In addition to that victory, Simply Ravishing owns two wins at Saratoga from August and September.

Dayoutoftheoffice also possesses 5-2 odds and has adapted well to every course she has ran at. She has three victories at three tracks, with her most recent triumph coming at Belmont Park in October.

In a race that could come down to the smallest of margins, Simply Ravishing could hold an advantage from starting on the inside. If Simply Ravishing gains the rail and opens up a slight lead, she should be well positioned to hold off the rest of the challengers.

Statistics obtained from BreedersCup.com.