Champion Sprinter Jackie's Warrior Headlines True North
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Photo: Coady Photography
Jackie's Warrior wins the Churchill Downs Stakes at Churchill Downs
Champion sprinter Jackie's Warrior looks to go 3-for-3 this year for owners J. Kirk Robison and Judy Robison in Friday's $300,000 True North (G2) at Belmont Park.
The colt by Maclean's Music brings a record of 10-1-1 in 14 starts with earnings in excess of $2.3 million to the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward. An impressive grade 1 winner at 2, 3, and 4, he has registered five triple-digit Beyer Speed Figures for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Jackie's Warrior began his 2022 campaign with a three-quarter-length win in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 16 at Oaklawn Park and returned off three weeks' rest to win the Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Last year, the talented colt won four graded stakes, including a hard-fought win against Life Is Good in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. That was the third grade 1 victory of his career after capturing the 2020 Runhappy Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga ahead of that year's Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont.
"It's a rare opportunity to be able to return an Eclipse champion. Obviously, I'm very grateful to Kirk and Judy Robison for that opportunity," said Asmussen, who won the 2006 True North with Anew. "He's just a brilliant horse, he's absolutely brilliant. He's everything you would want in a racehorse mentally or physically, and it's quite obvious how fast he's been. He has a tremendous attitude, a true racehorse. He has maintained his grade 1-winning form this year, and the only difference we're looking for this year is to finish it off by winning the Breeders' Cup."
Asmussen, who also trained Maclean's Music, said a young Jackie's Warrior reminded him of his sire.
"He very much reminded me of him early and now he's his own horse. Maclean's Music was our attraction to him from the beginning," Asmussen said.
Joel Rosario will have the return call on Jackie's Warrior from post 3.
Hall of Famer Bill Mott will send Baby Yoda in search of his first True North win since millionaire Richter Scale won the 1998 edition. The 4-year-old Prospective gelding owned by Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, and Jerold Zaro will have Luis Saez up breaking from the 4 post.
Trainer Chad Brown will seek his first True North victory with Klaravich Stables' Sound Money . The colt by Flatter will race with blinkers off from post 6 under Irad Ortiz, Jr. Marc Holliday's Blue Devil Racing's Night Time will start from gate 5 for trainer Dale Romans with Javier Castellano in the irons. War Tocsin , owned/trained by Uriah St. Lewis, breaks from the 2 slot with Dexter Haddock.
The True North, which honors W. Deering Howe's 1945 Fall Highweight winner, has seen previous winners Groovy (1987), Speightstown (2004), and Roy H (2017) go on to be crowned Champion Sprinter in their respective years.
Belmont Park, Friday, June 10, 2022, Race 9Entries: True North S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
Mr Phil (KY)
Kendrick Carmouche
118
Rob Atras
-
2
War Tocsin (KY)
Dexter Haddock
118
Uriah St. Lewis
-
3
Jackie's Warrior (KY)
Joel Rosario
124
Steven M. Asmussen
-
4
Baby Yoda (FL)
Luis Saez
118
William I. Mott
-
5
Night Time (KY)
Javier Castellano
118
Dale L. Romans
-
6
Sound Money (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
118
Chad C. Brown
-
