Undefeated Jackie's Warrior Headlines Champagne Stakes

Jackie's Warrior looks to extend his undefeated record and add to his tally of grade 1 victories Oct. 10 in the $250,000 Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park.

The son of Maclean's Music  raced by J. Kirk and Judy Robison comes into the one-mile test off three consecutive wins that include the Sept. 7 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, where he beat Reinvestment Risk by 2 1/4 lengths.

Jackie's Warrior has been getting acclimated to Belmont, having breezed a half-mile Oct. 4 in :50.54. He will be ridden by Joel Rosario, who was aboard in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and the Hopeful.

"He handles everything well," said Toby Sheets, the Belmont-based assistant trainer for Steve Asmussen. "Just like his races are, that's how he is. He's done everything very professionally, and he's very straightforward. I don't see the mile being an issue at all."

The Champagne, which is a Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifier for the TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1), attracted a field of six that includes Reinvestment Risk. Klaravich Stables' son of freshman sire Upstart  made an impressive debut at Saratoga Aug. 1 when he won by 7 3/4 lengths over next-out winner Olympiad. In the Hopeful, he stalked Jackie's Warrior throughout but never seriously challenged the winner.

Reinvestment Risk has had two four-furlong works at Belmont, going in :49 Sept. 27 and :48.59 Oct. 3. The colt will be ridden by his regular jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr.

Midnight Bourbon and Ambivalent are the only other challengers that have placed in a black-type stakes.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon comes into the race off a second in the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. The son of Tiznow  was third in his debut July 25 at Ellis Park and broke his maiden in his next start at Ellis by 5 1/2 lengths. He is trained by Asmussen and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz.

"He came in on Saturday, had a little (three-furlong) blowout (in :39.22) here on Tuesday," Sheets said of Midnight Bourbon. "He's another well-built, big horse. He's figuring it out a little bit, but he's been doing really well."

Midnight Bourbon is the fourth runner and fourth black-type performer out of the Malibu Moon  mare Catch the Moon, whose other starters include grade 1 winner Girvin  and grade 3 winners Pirate's Punch and Cocked and Loaded. Midnight Bourbon was Tiznow's second-highest-priced yearling of 2019, having sold for $525,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from Warrendale Sales' consignment for Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.

"Let's hope that trend continues," Sheets said.

Reddam Racing's Ambivalent, a son of Constitution , has the most experience in the field with four starts but has yet to visit the winner's circle. The colt has two seconds, a third, and a fourth. His third-place effort came in his most recent start, the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes. He also was third across the wire in the Best Pal Stakes (G2) but got disqualified to fourth.

Entries: Champagne S. (G1)

Belmont Park, Saturday, October 10, 2020, Race 4

• Grade I
• 1m
• Dirt
• $250,000
• 2 yo
• 1:58 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Ambivalent (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Doug F. O'Neill	15/1
2	2Run Casper Run (KY)	Jose Lezcano	122	Juan C. Vazquez	30/1
3	3Civil War (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	122	Thomas Albertrani	30/1
4	4Jackie's Warrior (KY)	Joel Rosario	122	Steven M. Asmussen	3/5
5	5Reinvestment Risk (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	8/5
6	6Midnight Bourbon (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1