‘Spectacular Individual’ Jackie’s Warrior Exits Champagne In Good Shape

Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior earned a career-best 100 Beyer for his second Grade 1 victory in the $250,000 Champagne at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.

Piloted by Joel Rosario, the juvenile son of Maclean's Music parlayed his winning effort in the Grade 1 Hopeful into another Grade 1-victory, when displaying his usual frontrunning style early on and extending his advantage throughout the stretch run, sailing home a 5 1/2-length winner.

“We're just celebrating our win,” said Asmussen's Belmont Park-based assistant trainer Toby Sheets. “The horse came out of the race in good shape and we'll go from there. He's a spectacular individual.”

Sheets said Midnight Bourbon, who ran third in the Champagne, also emerged from the race in good shape. The son of Tiznow picked up his second placing in a graded stakes event. He was previously second in the Grade 3 Iroquois on September 5 at Churchill Downs.

“I was very happy with him. He ran his race,” Sheets said.

Jackie's Warrior, now unbeaten in four lifetime starts, earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile after winning the Champagne, which is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event. He will likely arrive as one of the favorites for the 1 1/16-mile event on November 6 at Keeneland, in attempt to give Asmussen his eighth triumph in a Breeders' Cup race.

Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, Jackie's Warrior was purchased for $95,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

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Dam Of Champagne Winner Jackie’s Warrior, Her American Pharoah Weanling Added To Keeneland November

Keeneland announced on Sunday that Unicorn Girl, dam of undefeated two-time Grade 1 winner and leading Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) candidate Jackie's Warrior, and her weanling colt by American Pharoah have been supplemented to the November Breeding Stock Sale, to be held Nov. 9-18.

Unicorn Girl, who is in foal to leading sire Into Mischief, and her weanling son both are consigned by Beau Lane Bloodstock, agent, in the premier Book 1 on opening day.

Catalog pages for the two horses will be released later this week.

In Saturday's Champagne (G1) at Belmont, Jackie's Warrior dominated his rivals with a front-running 5 1/2-length victory. The effort solidified the status of the colt by Maclean's Music as a favorite in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland and set the $95,000 graduate of Keeneland's 2019 September Yearling Sale on course for a potential Eclipse Award as division champion.

“It was a very impressive victory for Jackie's Warrior in the Champagne, and Unicorn Girl in foal to Into Mischief on one cover and carrying a colt will be well received at Keeneland November,” said Carlo Vaccarezza, who owns the mare and weanling with John Williams. “Also selling the weanling half-brother to Jackie's Warrior by American Pharoah will show what she's capable of moving forward. John and I are extremely excited for this opportunity.”

The Champagne continued Jackie's Warrior's roll this year. He won his June 19 career debut by 2 1/2 lengths at Churchill Downs and next took the Aug. 7 Saratoga Special (G2) by three lengths. On Sept. 7, Jackie's Warrior captured the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga by 2 1/4 lengths in stakes-record time.

Unicorn Girl, by the A.P. Indy stallion A. P. Five Hundred, is in foal to the powerhouse Into Mischief, whose stud fee recently climbed to $225,000 for 2021. His recent headliners include Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Authentic and Test (G1) winner Gamine. Into Mischief was the leading sire by gross sales at the recent Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where 19 of his sons and daughters commanded $500,000 or more. Five sold for $1 million or more, including the $1.9 million sale-topping filly.

“There is no telling what Unicorn Girl can do with a foal by Into Mischief,” Beau Lane said. “She is a powerhouse. She tried her heart out every time she raced. She's a quality mare who was an overachiever, and she passes that on to her babies. They have the same attitude. She is the kind that can give you that special horse.”

Unicorn Girl has a pedigree page loaded with quality. Out of stakes winner Horah for Bailey, she is a half-sister to eight winners, including stakes winner Bernie the Maestro, who earned $694,317, and a pair of stakes horses who banked nearly $200,000 each.

On the race track, Unicorn Girl was competitive, classy and sound. Racing on the East Coast, she won 19 races and earned $483,508 in 54 races.

“Jackie's Warrior proved his star power with his dominating performance in the Champagne, and we look forward to seeing him at Keeneland for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile,” said Shannon Arvin, president-elect and interim head of sales at Keeneland. “Keeneland is especially excited to offer his dam, Unicorn Girl, who is in foal to the popular stallion Into Mischief, and his weanling half-brother in the November Sale.”

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Jackie’s Warrior Now 4-For-4 After Rollicking Champagne Victory

Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior kept an unblemished record intact, establishing an early lead while shaking off a challenge from Reinvestment Risk to win Saturday's 149th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Champagne going one mile for juveniles over the main track at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The 2-year-old son of Maclean's Music improved to a perfect 4-for-4, including two Grade 1 triumphs along with the Runhappy Hopeful on September 7 at Saratoga. He earned an automatic entry into the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 6 at Keeneland from his victory in the Champagne, which is a Breeders' Cup “Win And You're In” event.

Within a few strides out of the gate, Jackie's Warrior was able to secure his usual frontrunning position under jockey Joel Rosario and recorded the opening quarter-mile in 23.12 seconds over the fast main track with Hopeful runner-up Reinvestment Risk in second and stablemate Midnight Bourbon another path to the outside in third.

Around the turn, through a half-mile in 46.54, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. launched his bid aboard Reinvestment Risk, and came close to being on even terms with Jackie's Warrior. Just outside the quarter-pole, Rosario nudged his charge a couple of times and that was all it took to get Jackie's Warrior to extend his advantage.

Jackie's Warrior opened up by three lengths in the stretch and was geared down just past the sixteenth pole, crossing the wire a 5 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:35.42. Reinvestment Risk finished 8 ¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Midnight Bourbon.

Civil War, Run Casper Run, and Ambivalent rounded out the order of finish.

“He's a beautiful horse; a big horse, and it looks like everything he does is easy for him,” Rosario said. “I was very confident that he could get the mile. I felt confident the whole way. He just enjoyed what he was doing.”

Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Jackie's Warrior, who returned $3.70 for a $2 win bet as the favorite, banked $137,500 in victory which enhanced his lifetime earnings to $402,564.

Prior to his pair of Grade 1 scores, he was a 2 1/2-length winner on debut on June 19 at Churchill Downs before taking the Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite on August 7 by three lengths.

“He had an easy half-mile and I'm surprised he came home that quick. He's very impressive,” said Asmussen's Belmont Park-based assistant Toby Sheets. “He's a class act and does everything correct. The one-turn mile certainly didn't seem to bother him.”

The Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile will be Jackie's Warrior first two-turn engagement, which Rosario said should be no problem for the unbeaten juvenile.

“I tried to get him away from there quickly and get position. I think the further he goes the better. He seemed to do it very easy today and I was very confident in him,” Rosario said. “I wanted to be a little out in front, so he had confidence, and it looked like he liked that. I let him do whatever he wanted to do. He breaks two lengths in front of everyone and not all horses can do that. He's amazing.”

Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, Jackie's Warrior is out of the A.P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl. He was purchased for $95,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont Park with a 10-race card highlighted by the 130th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Futurity, a six-furlong turf sprint offering a “Win and You're In” berth to the Grade 1, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on November 6 at Keeneland. It is one of two turf stakes for juveniles on the 10-race card, with the Grade 3, $100,000 Matron for 2-year-old fillies going six furlongs also on the docket. First post is 12:50 p.m.

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Jackie’s Warrior Dominates in the Champagne

JACKIE’S WARRIOR (c, 2, Maclean’s Music-Unicorn Girl, by A. P. Five Hundred) kept his perfect record in tact with another dominant performance in Belmont’s GI Champagne S., a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event. Following his debut win at Churchill with a victory in the GII Saratoga Special S., he captured Saratoga’s GI Runhappy Hopeful S. last time Sept. 7. Hammered down to 4-5 favoritism to repeat her, Jackie’s Warrior broke on top and cruised through opening splits of :23.12 and :46.54 with ‘TDN Rising Star’ Reinvestment Risk (Upstart) in tow. Bearing out a bit to be two wide turning for home, the $95,000 KEESEP buy was kept steady by pilot Joel Rosario and took flight for the wire, sailing clear with ease under a motionless Rosario to win by daylight. Reinvestment Risk was best of the rest in second. The final time for the mile was 1:35.42. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0.

O-J. Kirk & Judy Robison; B-J&J Stables (KY); T-Steve Asmussen.

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