Jackie's Warrior, Dr. Schivel Head BC Sprint

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Jackie's Warrior, Dr. Schivel Head BC Sprint
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Jackie's Warrior is riding a three-race win streak into the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar

Will the young whippersnappers defeat the wily veterans in the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)?

Three-year-olds Jackie's Warrior  and Dr. Schivel  are among the top contenders for the six-furlong race Nov. 6 at Del Mar. They will face the likes of 7-year-old C Z Rocket , who finished second to Whitmore  last year; and 6-year-old Firenze Fire , third last year and making his fifth Breeders' Cup appearance.

Three-year-olds beat their elders in the Sprint about 25% of the time. Nine 3-year-olds have won in the 37 previous runnings. 

Jackie's Warrior, a Kentucky-bred son of Maclean's Music  , was installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite from post 2 at the Nov. 1 post position draw. He is coming off three consecutive one-turn victories, in the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam Stakes (G2) and seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and the six-furlong Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) at Parx Racing. He won the Amsterdam by 7 1/4 lengths and the Gallant Bob by 6 3/4 lengths. His neck margin in the Jerkens came after he bobbled at the start and raced wide.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen trains Jackie's Warrior for owners J. Kirk and Judy Robison. Asmussen has saddled seven Breeders' Cup winners, including2019 Sprint winner Mitole  .

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"Jackie's Warrior hasn't missed a beat, according to Steve," said Kirk Robison. "He's coming up to the race really well, and we're just hoping he stays happy and healthy until race time."

Though the Robisons, who live in El Paso, Texas, race many of their homebreds in California and spend their summers at Del Mar, Jackie's Warrior has never raced on the West Coast. Asmussen brought his Breeders' Cup hopefuls to California early, and Jackie's Warrior worked three times at Santa Anita before shipping to Del Mar.

"Steve wanted to get him out there early," said Robison, who is looking forward to seeing Jackie's Warrior compete at Del Mar. "Anywhere there's a Breeders' Cup is fun. I haven't had many chances to run in a Breeders' Cup with a horse that really had a chance to win, so we're extremely excited about this horse."

Robison paid $95,000 for Jackie's Warrior at the 2019 Keeneland September yearling sale. Jackie's Warrior last year won his first four races, including the Runhappy Hopeful (G1) and Champagne (G1) stakes. He then finished fourth as the favorite in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) after getting to the lead in the stretch. He has earned $1,513,964 from his eight wins in 11 starts.

Dr. Schivel has an even longer current winning streak, as he enters off scores in his past five races. Three of those came at Del Mar, where he is a perfect 3-for-3. At 2 he broke his maiden at Del Mar by 5 3/4 lengths and added the Del Mar Futurity (G1). Dr. Schivel this year earned a "Win & You're In" berth to the Sprint with his victory in Del Mar's Bing Crosby Stakes (G1).

Mark Glatt trains Dr. Schivel, a son of Violence   bred in Kentucky by William Branch and Arnold Hill. Branch races the colt with Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal, and Reeves Thoroughbred Racing.

In his last race, Dr. Schivel demonstrated even more dimensions. Not only did he win the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G1) on the front end rather than his usual off-the-pace style, he did it without a right rein. The rein had come out of its keeper early in the six-furlong test, resulting in the different tactics because jockey Flavien Prat was trying to guide Dr. Schivel with only his left rein. Dr. Schivel managed to stay safe and win the race.

Then there are the veterans.

C Z Rocket, a Florida-bred son of City Zip , was a bargain $40,000 claim by trainer Peter Miller for Tom Kagele, who owns the gelding with Miller's Altamira Racing Stable, Madaket Stables, and Gary Barber. Since then C Z Rocket has won four stakes.

But Firenze Fire is the true Breeders' Cup veteran. At 2 in 2017, he ran seventh in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), followed by a fourth in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1), fifth in the 2019 Sprint, and third in the 2020 Sprint. Second in his past two races, Firenze Fire will forever be known for the savaging he foisted upon winner Yaupon   in the stretch of the Aug. 28 Forego Stakes (G1).

Kelly Breen trains Firenze Fire, a Florida-bred son of Poseidon's Warrior , for owner/breeder Ron Lombardi's Mr. Amore Stable.

With three wins and three other placings in six starts, Spendthrift Farm homebred Following Sea  always has been consistent and in cutting back in distance, he may have delivered his best career start to date in the Vosburgh Stakes (G2) Oct. 9 at Belmont Park as the son of 2015 Sprint winner Runhappy   delivered a front-end score.


Entries: Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1)

Del Mar, Saturday, November 06, 2021, Race 8

  • Grade I
  • 6f
  • Dirt
  • $2,000,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 2:38 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Following Sea (KY) John R. Velazquez 124 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1
2 2Jackie's Warrior (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 124 Steven M. Asmussen 6/5
3 3C Z Rocket (FL) Florent Geroux 126 Peter Miller 12/1
4 4Matera Sky (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Yuga Kawada 126 Hideyuki Mori 20/1
5 5Aloha West (MD)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 126 Wayne M. Catalano 8/1
6 6Firenze Fire (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 126 Kelly J. Breen 10/1
7 7Lexitonian (KY) Jose Lezcano 126 Jack Sisterson 20/1
8 8Special Reserve (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 126 Michael J. Maker 6/1
9 9Dr. Schivel (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 124 Mark Glatt 4/1