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Jackie’s Warrior Too Fast For Rivals In Runhappy Hopeful

Stakes action at Saratoga Race Course concluded with an astonishing performance from J. Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior, who broke like a rocket and maintained the lead throughout to keep an unbeaten record intact with a 2 1/4-length win in the 116th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful for 2-year-olds going seven furlongs.

As the only stakes winner in the field, Jackie's Warrior made his last start in similar runaway fashion when taking the six-furlong Grade 2 Saratoga Special on August 7 at the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., track.

Piloted by Joel Rosario, Jackie's Warrior was quickest away from the gate and established a two-length lead through opening splits of 22.56 and 44.83 seconds over the fast main track.

Around the far turn, post time favorite Reinvestment Risk put in a bid but Jackie's Warrior kicked away and opened up to a five-length lead in deep stretch. Geared down past the eighth-pole, Jackie's Warrior stopped the clock in 1:21.29. Reinvestment Risk completed the exacta 10 ¼ lengths in front of Mutasaabeq.

Ampersand, Papetu, Nutsie and Fearless Fly completed the order of finish.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who scored his first Hopeful victory last year with Basin, became the first conditioner to notch back-to-back victories in the prestigious event for juveniles since D. Wayne Lukas saddled High Yield (1999) and Yonaguska (2000).

“He's a very athletic colt that gets over the ground extremely well,” said Asmussen's chief assistant Scott Blasi. “Steve picked him out for Mr. Robison, and it's been a good partnership over the years. We're extremely happy to have him.”

Blasi said Jackie's Warrior could target another Grade 1 on the NYRA circuit and point towards the Grade 1, $250,000 Champagne, a one-turn mile on October 10 at Belmont Park.

“He just continues to improve. He gets stronger in his works,” Blasi said. “He does things effortlessly. I'd expect he'd go on to the Champagne and the Breeders' Cup from there. But, one race at a time. We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”

Jackie's Warrior was a maiden winner at first asking in June at Churchill Downs when piloted by Ricardo Santana, Jr. in a five-furlong maiden special weight sprint.

Rosario, who led all riders with 13 stakes wins at the meet, was aboard for the last-out Saratoga Special score and said he continues to be impressed by the swift colt.

“He broke really fast and I was two lengths in front right away,” Rosario said. “He's a fast horse. He was able to carry his speed the whole way around. I tried to get off the rail a little bit and it felt like he was comfortable with that.

“It's unbelievable the way he ran he ran last time and he was probably better today,” added Rosario. “He's a big horse and it looks like he can go longer, too.”

Returning $5.70 for a $2 win wager, Jackie's Warrior doubled his lifetime earnings to $265,064 in an unbeaten record of three starts.

Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, the Maclean's Music bay is out of the A.P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl and was purchased for $95,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Live racing will now move to Belmont Park for the 27-day fall meet, featuring 38 stakes worth $5.58 million in purse money, that will kick off on Friday, September 18 and run through Sunday, November 1.

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Jaw-Dropping Jackie’s Warrior Romps in Runhappy Hopeful

J Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music), breathtaking winner of the Aug. 7 GII Saratoga Special S., added another superlative to his resume with a jaw-dropping victory in the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. at Saratoga Monday. Sent off at 9-5, the bay colt was away sharply and almost immediately had a two-length advantage on the field through an opening quarter in :22.56. Pepetu (Dialed In) and even-money favorite Reinvestment Risk (Upstart) were his closest pursuers, but as that duo tried to inch closer, Jackie’s Warrior spurted further clear, covering his next two furlongs in :22.27 for a half up in :44.83. Reinvestment Risk was the only one in with a chance in upper stretch, but Jackie’s Warrior easily shrugged off that foe, getting his next quarter in :23.50 for three-quarters in 1:08.33, before sailing under the wire geared down under a motionless Joel Rosario. He completed the seven furlongs in a stakes-record 1:21.29, bettering the previous mark set by Came Home in 2001 by 0.65 second.

“He broke really fast and I was two lengths in front right away,” Rosario said. “He’s a fast horse. He was able to carry his speed the whole way around. I tried to get off the rail a little bit and it felt like he was comfortable with that. It’s unbelievable the way he ran last time and he was probably better today. He’s a big horse and it looks like he can go longer, too.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. was aboard runner-up Reinvestment Risk, who was making his second start following a ‘TDN Rising Star’ worthy 7 3/4-length debut win at Saratoga Aug. 1.

“My trip was perfect,” Ortiz said. “He went a little fast, but he kept going. He just got beat by a really nice horse. My horse was only making his second start, so he will improve.”

Jackie’s Warrior was a first-out winner going five furlongs at Churchill Downs, besting subsequent ‘TDN Rising Star’ Therideofalifetime (Candy Ride {Arg}) by 2 1/2 lengths June 19. He had three lengths on that foe while scoring a front-running victory in the Aug. 7 GII Saratoga Special S. last time out, completing that six-furlong race in 1:09.62.

“He’s a very athletic colt that gets over the ground extremely well,” Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, said of the $95,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase. “Steve picked him out for Mr. Robison and it’s been a good partnership over the years. We’re extremely happy to have him. He just continues to improve. He gets stronger in his works. He does things effortlessly. I’d expect he’d go on to the [Oct. 10 GI] Champagne S. [at Belmont Park] and the Breeders’ Cup from there. But, one race at a time. We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.”

Pedigree Notes:

Jackie’s Warrior is one of four graded stakes winners for Maclean’s Music, who is also the sire of 2017 GI Preakness S. winner Cloud Computing and 2018 GI Champagne S. winner Complexity. This year, the sire has been represented by GII Best Pal S. third-place finisher Sonic Brees, as well as stakes winner Share the Upside and graded placed Bay Muzik.

John Williams’s J & J Stable claimed Unicorn Girl for $16,000 out of her 54th and final career start at Monmouth Park in July 2013. The 15-year-old mare has a yearling filly by Candy Ride (Arg) and produced a colt by American Pharoah this year. She was bred back to Into Mischief. Her 3-year-old King Theo (More Than Ready), who races for J & J Stable, was fifth in Saturday’s GII American Turf S. at Churchill Downs.

Monday, Saratoga
RUNHAPPY HOPEFUL S.-GI, $250,000, Saratoga, 9-7, 2yo, 7f, 1:21.29, ft.
1–JACKIE’S WARRIOR, 122, c, 2, 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
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($95,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-J. Kirk & Judy
Robison; B-J & J Stables (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Joel
Rosario. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $265,064.
2–Reinvestment Risk, 120, c, 2, Upstart–Ridingwiththedevil, by
Candy Ride (Arg). ‘TDN Rising Star’ ($140,000 Ylg ’19 FTKJUL;
$280,000 2yo ’20 OBSMAR). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.;
B-Aschinger Bloodstock Holdings, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown.
$50,000. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
3–Mutasaabeq, 120, c, 2, Into Mischief–Downside Scenario, by
Scat Daddy. ‘TDN Rising Star’ ($425,000 Wlg ’18 KEENOV).
O-Shadwell Stable; B-BlackRidge Stables LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $30,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 10 1/4, 9 1/4. Odds: 1.85, 1.00, 3.85.
Also Ran: Ampersand, Papetu, Nutsie, Fearless Fly. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Ghostbuster Colt Mystic Guide Could Jump From Jim Dandy Win To Preakness

Godolphin's Mystic Guide emerged from his triumph in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga in good order and shipped back to Fair Hill Training Center on Saturday evening, where trainer Michael Stidham is primarily stabled.

The sophomore Ghostzapper chestnut earned his first graded stakes victory in the 1 1/8-mile event over the Saratoga Race Course main track in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and arrived off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 16 to Country Grammer.

Stidham said the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes on October 3 at Pimlico Race Course is a possibility for Mystic Guide.

“We're going to look at it and see how he trains these next couple of weeks,” Stidham said. “He's already back at Fair Hill and looked good this morning. He came out of the race in good shape.”

Never off the hoard in five career starts, Stidham said Mystic Guide had always touted himself as a horse with a bright future. Following a five-length maiden score at second asking in his two-turn debut in March at Fair Grounds, he finished third in a one-turn first level allowance race at Belmont Park which was won by Tap It to Win en route to the Peter Pan.

“He always showed us a lot of promise right from the beginning,” Stidham said. “We stayed patient with him. We didn't put him in spots that he wasn't ready for. We tried to do the right thing by the horse, and it paid off yesterday. There was temptation in thinking about the Derby, but he didn't advance quickly enough to be in that picture.”

Following Saturday's Grade 1 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, which was won by Authentic who kept heavy favorite Tiz the Law at bay, Stidham said the 3-year-old division appears to be wide open.

“I don't think that there's a big difference in a lot of the 3-year-olds,” Stidham said. “Tiz the Law was certainly the leader of the group, and then obviously he got beat yesterday. I think it opens the picture up and I think our horse is lightly raced and could be coming into his peak now and coming up to his best racing.”

A Kentucky homebred, Mystic Guide is out of the three-time Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Music Note. Stidham currently has Mystic Guide's half-brother Gershwin in his barn. The unraced 2-year-old son of Distorted Humor has been training forwardly at Fair Hill and Stidham said he could make his career debut soon.

“He's showing some early promise. He hasn't started yet but he's had some nice works,” Stidham said. “There are a lot of similarities. They're big, strong colts and Gershwin has shown some early talent. He's another one that's going to be a two turn horse. We aren't in any rush with him. He'll make his first start in the month to six weeks.”

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Monday’s Insights: Saratoga, Del Mar Meets End with a Bang

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

3rd-Saratoga, $72k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 12:33 p.m.
Bill Mott saddles Godolphin’s debuting SERENE (Tapit), an $800,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase last year. The chestnut filly is a daughter of multiple Grade I-placed Fascinating (Smart Strike). Out of graded stakes winner Untouched Talent (Storm Cat), Fascinating is a half-sister to Grade I winner Bodemeister (Empire Maker). Also debuting is Peter Brant’s Editor at Large (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). The Chad Brown trainee was a 260,000gns purchase at last year’s Tattersalls October sale. Todd Pletcher sends out firster Ready Seeker (More Than Ready). The Charles Fipke homebred is out of Title Seeker (Monarchos) and is a half to graded winner Seeking the Title (Seeking the Gold), dam of Grade I winner Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}), and a full to multiple graded placed Title Ready. TJCIS PPs

7th-Saratoga, $72k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 2:37 p.m.
Allen Stable’s NO ORDINARY TIME (Not This Time), a $600,000 KEESEP yearling, debuts for trainer Shug McGaughey. Out of Crosswinds (Storm Cat), the bay filly is a half-sister to Grade I winner Weep No More (Mineshaft) and graded winner Current (Curlin). Godolphin homebred Lovestruck (Tapit) is a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner and late leading sire Scat Daddy (Johannesburg), as well as to graded winner Antipathy (A.P. Indy). She makes her first trip to the post for for trainer Bill Mott. TJCIS PPs

9th-Saratoga, $72k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 3:39 p.m.
Jimmy Jerkens sends out firster GREATHEART (Empire Maker), a $400,000 KEESEP yearling, for Shortleaf Stable. He is a half-brother to graded placed Whiskey Echo (Tiznow). Courtlandt Farms’ Ten for Ten (Frosted), a $410,000 KEESEP yearling, makes his first start for trainer Shug McGaughey. He is out of Summer Vacation (Eskendereya), a half-sister to Creative Cause (Giant’s Causeway), Destin (Giant’s Causeway), and to recent GI Personal Ensign S. winner Vexatious (Giant’s Causeway). TJCIS PPs

3rd-Del Mar, $55k, 2yo, 1mT, 5:00 p.m.
SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stable’s TARANTINO (Pioneerof theNile), a $610,000 KEESEP yearling, debuts for trainer Bob Baffert. The bay colt is out of Without Delay (Seeking the Gold) and is a half-brother to graded-placed Before You Know It (Hard Spun) and Instant Reflex (Quality Road). C R K Stable’s Union Soldier (Union Rags) makes his first trip to the post for trainer John Shirreffs. The bay colt, a $650,000 KEESEP purchase, is out of graded winner Sky Girl (Sky Mesa). TJCIS PPs

8th-Del Mar, $57k, Alw/Opt Clm, 3/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 7:30 p.m.
Baoma Corp’s HAPPIER (Street Sense) looks to follow up on her ‘TDN Rising Star’ debut. The Bob Baffert trainee, an $800,000 KEESEP yearling in 2018, went wire-to-wire to graduate by 3 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs at Del Mar July 31. TJCIS PPs

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