Champion sprinter Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) made history in jaw-dropping fashion in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. at Saratoga Saturday, becoming the first horse to win Grade I races in three consecutive seasons at the upstate New York track.
The exceptionally fast 1-5 favorite backed off after leading in the early stages and let 22-1 outsider Doc Amster (Midshipman) set the pace. Guided to the outside of that overmatched rival by Joel Rosario, the $95,000 KEESEP yearling graduate cruised up with devastating ease to hit the front approaching the quarter pole.
Kept well out in the clear at the top of the stretch, Jackie's Warrior simply cantered home under a hammer lock to dominate by a deceptive two lengths. Kneedeepinsnow (Flat Out), a savvy $80,000 claim back in April, ran on well to complete the exacta.
Jackie's Warrior, now five-for-five at Saratoga, won the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at two and a memorable throwdown over the brilliant Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in last summer's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S.
“Unbelievably relieved,” winning Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I was made aware that if he wins today, he's the only horse ever to win a Grade I three years in a row at Saratoga. Saratoga–the great racehorses that have won here and he's the only one to do that. I just can't say how much I have wanted that for him and am proud of it and Jackie's Warrior has done it.”
He continued, “He's the whole package. He just has a tremendous amount of ability and confidence in himself. A game horse.”
A disappointing sixth as the heavy favorite in last November's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, the J. Kirk and Judy Robison colorbearer has been perfect in four attempts since having a knee chip removed ahead of his 4-year-old season.
His 2022 campaign also includes wins in the GI Churchill Downs S. May 7 and GII True North S. at Belmont last time June 10. The GI Forego S. at Saratoga Aug. 27 will be next.
“We've mapped out his races this year when he came back in training,” Asmussen said. “We expect to run him back here in the Forego and the Breeders' Cup Sprint [in November at Keeneland]. Those will be his last two races and then he is off to Spendthrift for his stud career.”
Pedigree Notes:
A sole North American crop for U.S. MGSP and Chilean sire A. P. Five Hundred led to the birth of hard-knocking 19-time winner Unicorn Girl, who brought $45,000 as an OBS 2-year-old in 2007. The next time the hammer fell on an official sale for her was in 2020 at Keeneland November, when her price was upped–as the dam of Jackie's Warrior, at that time a MGISW 2-year-old colt–to $850,000 from buyer Arthur Hoyeau. Unicorn Girl didn't have a 2021 foal, but produced a Mar. 18 filly by Into Mischief this year and has been bred back to Quality Road. Her 2-year-old American Pharoah colt, who brought $600,000 at the 2020 Keeneland November sale from M.V. Magnier, has not been named but is nearing a race, having last worked at Saratoga July 24, getting five furlongs in 1:00.25 (2/27). Jackie's Warrior is currently the only U.S. black-type winner out of a daughter of A. P. Five Hundred, although his daughters have also produced two Chilean stakes winners.
Hill 'n' Dale's Maclean's Music, who made the most of his one career race start with a 114 Beyer for the win, has 25 black-type winners from his seven crops of racing age. Jackie's Warrior is one of his six graded winners and one of his four Grade I winners. The powerful nick of Maclean's Music's sire, Distorted Humor, over A. P. Five Hundred's sire, A.P. Indy, is well recognized and both Jackie's Warrior and Maclean's Music's GI Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing follow that formula.
Saturday, Saratoga
ALFRED G. VANDERBILT H.-GI, $350,000, Saratoga, 7-30, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.74, ft.
1–JACKIE'S WARRIOR, 127, c, 4, by Maclean's Music
1st Dam: Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred
2nd Dam: Horah for Bailey, by Doneraile Court
3rd Dam: Horah for the Lady, by Rahy
($95,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-J. Kirk & Judy Robison; B-J & J
Stables (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel Rosario. $192,500.
Lifetime Record: Ch. Male Sprinter, 16-12-1-1, $2,667,164.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
2–Kneedeepinsnow, 117, g, 6, Flat Out–Michelleinhearts, by
Lion Heart. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
($42,000 Wlg '16 KEENOV; $130,000 Ylg '17 KEESEP). O-Jeremy
Sussman, Ten Strike Racing & Cory Moelis Racing LLC; B-BWB
Bloodstock, LLC & WDS Bloodstock (KY); T-Matt A. Shirer.
$70,000.
3–Willy Boi, 120, g, 4, Uncaptured–Shining Moment, by
Yes It's True. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($40,000 2yo '20 OBSOCT).
O-Bill Cosgrove; B-Ocala Stud & William J. Terrell (FL); T-Jorge
Delgado. $42,000.
Margins: 2, 3, 1. Odds: 0.25, 22.40, 8.00.
Also Ran: Ny Traffic, Doc Amster, Long Range Toddy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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