Champion Jackie's Warrior Victorious in Count Fleet
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Photo: Coady Photography
Jackie's Warrior splashes home in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park
Last year's class of 3-year-old males proved to be a stellar group with some outstanding distance runners such as the champion of the division, Essential Quality , as well as Life Is Good , Hot Rod Charlie , Mandaloun , and Medina Spirit, to name a few.
It also produced a rather exceptional sprinter. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior was such a dominant 3-year-old in one-turn contests that he was named the champion male sprinter of 2021.
Little seems to have changed with the calendar turning to 2022.
The son of Maclean's Music trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen started his 4-year-old campaign with yet another sharp effort as he displayed his customary early speed to take charge midway on the turn and registered a three-quarters-of-a-length victory in the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) on the April 16 Hall of Fame Day card at Oaklawn Park.
"This was a 10. What a fitting race for Jackie's Warrior, a returning champion," Asmussen said from the winner's circle, where he was flanked by more than a dozen Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers on hand for the day's festivities. "Thanks to Kirk and Judy Robison for letting us race him again this year. It's a wonderful feeling to do this in front of all the people they assembled at Oaklawn."
Jackie's Warrior leads the way turning for home in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park
The start of his 4-year-old campaign was 180-degrees removed from Jackie's Warrior's 2021 finale which resulted in a disappointing sixth-place finish as a 1-2 favorite in the Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). Surgery to remove knee chips followed and Saturday's performance put him back on the winning track with his ninth victory in 13 career starts.
"Mitole won the Count Fleet in his championship year (2019) and we got him to the Breeders' Cup Sprint," Asmussen said. "Of course, we're trying to duplicate that with Jackie's Warrior."
Aside from signaling that Jackie's Warrior is quite intent on defending his Eclipse Award as the top sprinter, it also added to some impressive achievements by his Hall of Fame conditioner. The victory came just one day after Asmussen joined the late Bob Holthus as the only trainers with 800 wins at Oaklawn Park and it also gave him a record fourth win in the Count Fleet Sprint.
Running for the first time since Nov. 6, Jackie's Warrior and jockey Joel Rosario broke quickly and battled with Empire of Gold for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :21.61 on a sloppy track. On the turn, Empire of Gold retreated as the 1-2 favorite bred by J & J Stables in Kentucky drew clear after a :44.51 half-mile and enjoyed a four-length lead at the eighth pole.
The winning connections of Jackie's Warrior in the trophy presentation for the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park
"A very fast horse like 'Jackie,' he just came out of there and got away from everybody. He enjoyed what he was doing out there and was able to keep going," Rosario said.
Off that five-month break, Rosario needed to apply some light encouragement in the final sixteenth to prevail in a quick 1:09.09 with the 123-pound highweight. Jackie's Warrior paid $3 to win.
"Joel lets him do what he wants to do, but he's responded to Joel. I think that he needed the race and that is apparent. But what a great starting point for a champion," said Asmussen, who targeted the May 7 seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) for the colt's next start.
Edward J. Brown Jr., Alan Klein, and Philip Lebherz's Letsgetlucky , a 4-year-old California-bred Munnings gelding who toted 117 pounds, grabbed second for trainer Brian Koriner.
"I mean, we got beat by a really good horse. My horse showed today that he is a good horse. He's been showing up every time, but today was tough competition," jockey Martin Garcia said. "He was running at the end. I just couldn't catch the other one."
A length back in third was Penny Lauer's Chipofftheoldblock , a 5-year-old Indiana-bred Ready's Image gelding trained by Michael Lauer.
Bob's Edge , the 8-5 second choice, broke slowly and rallied mildly from last in the six-horse field to finish fourth.
Out of the A. P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl , Jackie's Warrior was bought for $95,000 from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The multiple grade 1 winner and $1.85 million earner is the third of six foals and first stakes winner for his dam, who also has a weanling Into Mischief filly and a 2-year-old American Pharaoh colt who was bought by M. V. Magnier for $600,000 from the Beau Lane Bloodstock consignment at the 2020 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.