B. Wayne Hughes’s Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to undefeated multiple Grade I-winning juvenile Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music–Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred), recent winner of Belmont’s GI Champagne S., a ‘Win and You’re In’ event to the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keenland next month. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the J & J Stables-bred colt has earnings of $402,564 in four career starts for owners Kirk and Judy Robison.
“Jackie’s Warrior is proving to be one of the fastest 2-year-olds to come around in the last decade or more, and we are extremely excited to follow his racing career and witness the special things he can accomplish before he joins us at Spendthrift,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift general manager. “For such an imposing colt, Jackie’s Warrior is extraordinarily athletic and light on his feet. We could not be more impressed by the way he continues to run good fields off their feet and pour it on late when he lengthens that beautiful stride of his.”
Jackie’s Warrior was a dominant 5 1/2-length winner in Saturday’s Champagne, completing the mile event in 1:35.42. He earned a 100 Beyer for the win, marking the fastest Champagne since Daredevil in 2014.
Last month, Jackie’s Warrior established a new stakes record in Saratoga’s GI Hopeful S., drawing off to a 2 1/4-length victory. His final time of 1:21.29 for seven furlongs is the fastest in the last 28 years the Hopeful has been contested at the distance. The juvenile earned a 95 Beyer for that win, marking the fastest Beyer in the Hopeful since 2007, and his two most recent Beyers are the two fastest by a juvenile so far in 2020. The bay becomes the first horse to complete the Hopeful-Champagne double since Practical Joke in 2016, and first to win the Saratoga Special, Hopeful and Champagne in New York since 2-year-old champion Dehere in 1993.
“A month after lowering the 28-year-old stakes record in the Hopeful [1:21.29], he comes back and runs a mile in 1:35 [.42] in the Champagne and did not look the least bit tired at the wire. We are obviously very happy to be associated, and we wish Kirk and Judy Robison and the Asmussen team the best of luck in the Breeders’ Cup.”
Kirk Robison confirmed that neither Spendthrift nor Myracehorse.com would be involved in his racing career, but he will retire to Spendthrift at the end of his career.
“I wanted to control his racing career and I got that,” said Robison. “They agreed to that. Steve Asmussen and I are going to manage that. I get all of the purse money during his racing career.”
He continued, “Judy and I are very grateful to campaign this exceptional colt, and Spendthrift will give Jackie’s Warrior every chance to be a leading stallion when his racing career is over. Few do what he has done in four starts-four wins over three different tracks, three in graded stakes, two in historic Grade I races and recording a 100 Beyer speed figure in the Champagne. He is a lifetime horse and is just getting started. Steve Asmussen and his team have done an exceptional job in his development. We are excited to be part of his unlimited promise.”
The colt’s connections also plan to support aftercare throughout his racing career.
“Judy and I are pledging 2% of Jackie’s Warrior’s potential purse earnings from the Juvenile to New Vocations for their tremendous work in Thoroughbred aftercare,” said Robison.
In June, Jackie’s Warrior won on debut at Churchill Downs by 2 1/2 lengths, running five furlongs in :57.49. He followed up that effort with a three-length victory in the Saratoga Special, covering six furlongs in 1:09.62.
“In this day and age, to win the Saratoga Special, Hopeful and Champagne in the fashion in which he did it is truly remarkable,” said Asmussen.
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