Jackie's Warrior Bests Life Is Good in H. Allen Jerkens
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Jackie's Warrior (inside) defeats Life Is Good in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes at Saratoga Race Course
"Life" is still good.
But, on Runhappy Travers Day Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course, he simply was not as good as Jackie's Warrior .
Not by much, mind you. But enough.
A race that was expected to feature a scintillating speed duel between two brilliant 3-year-olds turned out to be just that—and then some—as Jackie's Warrior held off a resurgent Life Is Good by a neck to capture the $490,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) Aug. 28 at the Spa.
"'Jackie' continues to make us proud," Hall trainer Steve Asmussen said about the now three-time grade 1 winner. "He's incredible. The thing you love about him is his demeanor and the way he goes about everything."
A son of Maclean's Music owned by Kirk and Judy Robison, Jackie's Warrior certainly went about his business in a dynamic style Saturday in handing Life Is Good his first loss in four career starts.
Though the Jerkens featured a field of six 3-year-old sprinters, the focus going into the race, and during the stretch run, centered on Jackie's Warrior and Life Is Good.
The speedy Life Is Good came into the Jerkens with a perfect 3-for-3 record for trainer Bob Baffert and was a leading Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) candidate until an ankle chip sent him to the sidelines in March. Switched to Todd Pletcher's barn for a summer return by China Horse Club and WinStar Farm, the son of Into Mischief put in a series of impressive works for his comeback.
"When Life Is Good was working up here, there was concern," Asmussen said. "We know who he is."
Meanwhile, Jackie's Warrior was razor-sharp and fit with two graded stakes wins and a second in a grade 1 since May 1, capped by a dazzling 7 1/4-length victory in the Aug. 1 Amsterdam Stakes (G2) at Saratoga.
(L-R): Scott Blasi walks Jackie's Warrior and Joel Rosario into the winner's circle with Chandler Carter after the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes
At the start of the seven-furlong Jerkens, the fresher rival was the fastest as Life Is Good, who had led at each call in all three of his starts, spurted away to a two-length lead over Jackie's Warrior after a half-mile in :44.16.
But on the turn, fitness came into play as Jackie's Warrior cut into the margin and forged to the lead in the stretch under Joel Rosario.
He led by a half-length at the eighth pole after six furlongs in 1:08.36 and seemed headed to a clear victory when a confident Smith on Life Is Good asked his mount for more. With the rest of the field more than six lengths behind, Life Is Good dug in and the 4-5 favorite started cutting into the lead.
While the lead shrank, there was just enough of it left for Jackie's Warrior ($5.10) to hold on and register a narrow victory in 1:21.39 on a fast track. Spendthrift Farm's Following Sea , a son of Runhappy trained by Pletcher, was third, 8 3/4 lengths behind Life Is Good.
"I watched the race from way up on the apron and (Joel) came into the stretch with horse," Asmussen said.
Though the race knocked Life Is Good from the ranks of the unbeaten, there was no disgrace at all in losing to a rival as good as Jackie's Warrior at a distance that will likely give way to longer races for him down the road.
The Allen Jerkens had by far the fastest splits of three grade 1 races at seven furlongs Saturday at Saratoga, and the quickest time by more than a fifth of a second.
"We got beat by a great horse," said WinStar Farm CEO, president, and racing manager Elliott Walden. "We have a great horse and hopefully he comes back good and we'll see what's next. Coming into it we thought if we were first or second to a horse like Jackie's Warrior we couldn't be too disappointed. It's tough to get beat a neck, but he ran great."
Very proud of Life Is Good. Always tough to get beat, but we met a tough foe in Jackie who was trained & ridden to the minute. There were 10 G1 winners, 2 champions that ran 7 fur. in back to back races. LIG ran faster than 9 of them off of a 171 day layoff. Super proud. #winstar pic.twitter.com/oHDgk0mZ4n
— Elliott Walden (@WinStarCEO) August 28, 2021
Pletcher was also pleased after his initial start with Life Is Good.
"He ran super," Pletcher said. "He ran 1:21 and 1 off a layoff. It was a big effort."
For Asmussen, the Jerkens completed a sweep of two grade 1 sprints at the Spa in less than an hour as he also won the Forego Stakes (G1) with Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt's Yaupon , giving him a rather formidable hand for the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Both horses trained together leading into Saturday's races.
"That was pretty good work working them together," Asmussen said. "It was easy to target these races and we're going to savor that knowing how important both of these races were for them and then we will figure out how to get from here to the Breeders' Cup."
The connections of Jackie's Warrior enjoy the trophy presentation for the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes
A winner of seven of 10 starts with earnings of $1,333,964, Jackie's Warrior was bred by J & J Stables in Kentucky out of the A. P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl and is her lone stakes winner from her first three registered foals. Unicorn Girl also has a 2-year-old filly named Lenni Girl by Candy Ride and a yearling American Pharoah colt. She was bred to Into Mischief for 2022.