Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

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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Jackie’s Warrior Meets ‘Rising Star’ Pair in Hopeful

With the obvious caveat that anything can happen with 2-year-olds this early in their development–look no further than Sittin On Go (Brody’s Cause)’s 24-1 upset in Saturday GII Iroquois S.–Monday’s GI Runhappy Hopeful S. looks solidly like a three-horse affair, as arguably the three most impressive dirt juveniles of the meet will clash in the seven-furlong test.

Made the fractional favorite on the morning line at 7-5, J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Jackie’s Warrior (Maclean’s Music) looks formidable in his attempt for back-to-back Spa graded stakes scores. A first-out winner going five panels over next-out ‘TDN Rising Star’ Therideofalifetime Candy Ride (Arg) June 19 at Churchill, he went to the lead and fought off all comers to triumph by three lengths in a high-quality renewal of the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 7. Drawn outside of what little speed there is, the $95,000 Keeneland September grad figures to work out a dream trip as he stretches out an additional furlong.

Klaravich Stables’ Reinvestment Risk (Upstart) is a tick behind at 8-5 and may well go off favored at final odds. Unveiled going a local three-quarters in a loaded looking field of firsters Aug. 1, the $280,000 OBS March buy made short work of his rivals, rocketing away to a 7 3/4-length romp and ‘TDN Rising Star’ honors. Clicking off his final quarter in :23.81 while geared down late, Reinvestment Risk was flattered when third finisher Olympiad (Speightstown) returned to a sharp maiden victory Saturday at the Spa.

Rounding out the big three is another ‘Rising Star’ in Shadwell Stable’s Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief). Backed down to 85 cents on the dollar debuting at 5 1/2 furlongs here Aug. 8, the $425,000 Keeneland November weanling buy pressed the pace widest out and drew clear in the stretch to a 4 1/2-length success.

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Pletcher ‘Excited’ About Likely Hopeful Favorite Mutasaabeq

Seven juvenile colts will face off in a quest to garner their first respective Grade 1 victories in the 116th running of the Grade 1, $250,000 Runhappy Hopeful on Closing Day Monday, September 7 going seven furlongs over the main track at Saratoga Race Course.

The historic test is the first Grade 1 event for juvenile colts on the East Coast and has been used as a stepping stone to Hall of Fame worthy campaigns for all time greats Regret (1914), Man o' War (1919), Whirlaway (1940), Native Dancer (1952), Nashua (1954), Needles (1955), Buckpasser (1965), Secretariat (1972), Foolish Pleasure (1974), and Affirmed (1978), while solidifying Eclipse Award honors for Champion 2-Year-Olds Chief's Crown (1984), Dehere (1993), Favorite Trick (1997), and Shanghai Bobby (2012).

Shadwell Stables' Mutasaabeq arrives at the Hopeful off a stylish maiden special weight victory on August 8 at Saratoga, where he drew off in the stretch to win by 4 ½ lengths on debut, garnering an 84 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddled Circular Quay (2006), Shanghai Bobby (2012) and Competitive Edge (2014) to Hopeful triumphs, said that has been particularly impressed by the son of Into Mischief's works from the gate. Prior to his maiden win, he worked a half-mile in a swift 46.53 seconds over the Saratoga main track.

“He had trained extremely well leading into that race,” Pletcher said. “His gate works were very impressive although his first step is not lightning quick. After that, he really gets going. I'm happy with everything he did prior to his debut, we were excited about the way he ran, we've been pointing for the Hopeful since then. He's trained accordingly.”

Pletcher said that Mutasaabeq's natural speed allows him to recover quickly.

“Once he got going, he put in an impressive run around the turn and it seemed like he had a lot in reserve,” Pletcher said. “This will be a step up in class and a stretch out in distance. There are some quality horses in there as one would imagine in a race like this, but we're excited about giving him the opportunity.

“Hopefully he jumps a little better second time out, but we'll play it by ear,” Pletcher added. “I liked the way he finished the other day, so seven-eighths should be within his range.”

Bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq is out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario and was purchased for $425,000 from the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where he was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency.

Jockey Luis Saez, who rode 2017 Hopeful winner Sporting Chance, will ride from post 3.

After saddling last year's winner Basin, Steve Asmussen will send out J. Kirk Robison's Jackie's Warrior as he attempts to become the first trainer to score back-to-back Hopeful wins since fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas sent out High Yield (1999) and Yonaguska (2000).

The son of Maclean's Music was an impressive winner of the Grade 2 Saratoga Special presented by Miller Lite on August 7, which garnered an 88 Beyer. He will look to become the first horse to sweep the Saratoga Special-Hopeful double since City Zip won the 2000 Saratoga Special before dead-heating for victory with Yonaguska that year.

Following a victory on debut at Churchill Downs over impressive next out winner Therideofalifetime, Jackie's Warrior bested the same foe once more in the Saratoga Special in wire-to-wire fashion, crossing the wire under a hand ride by Joel Rosario.

“It's good timing back, and he's had a race over the track,” said Asmussen's chief assistant Scott Blasi. “He's done everything right for us in the mornings and we're looking forward to running him. Seven-eighths of a mile is not going to be an issue for him.”

Rosario, the leading rider in stakes victories this meet, will return to the saddle from post 6.

Trainer Chad Brown sent out Practical Joke to a victory in the Hopeful for Klaravich Stables, who also won the 2011 Hopeful with Currency Swap. This year Brown and Klaravich will team up with Reinvestment Risk.

The son of freshman stallion Upstart won on debut and was geared down at the wire to a 7 ¾-length victory on August 1 at Saratoga, where he registered a 90 Beyer.

Bred in Kentucky by Aschinger Bloodstock Holdings, Reinvestment Risk was purchased for $280,000 from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, where he was consigned by DeMeric Sales. He is out of the Candy Ride mare Ridingwiththedevil.

Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be back aboard Reinvestment Risk from post 5.
Rounding out the field are Fearless Fly [post 1, Dylan Davis], Papetu [post 2, Jose Ortiz], Nutsie [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche], and Ampersand [post 7, Jose Lezcano].

The Runhappy Hopeful is slated as Race 13 on Monday's Closing Day 14-race card, which will feature a mandatory payout of the Empire 6 beginning in Race 8 at 3:39 p.m. ET. The program also will feature the $85,000 Lure for older horses going 1 1/16 miles over the Mellon turf.

Monday's card offers a first post of 11:30 a.m. Eastern. Saratoga Live will present daily television coverage of the 40-day summer meet on FOX Sports and MSG Networks. For the complete Saratoga Live broadcast schedule, and additional programming information, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

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Saturday’s Insights: Well-Bred Homebreds Debut

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency

4th-Churchill Downs, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:35 p.m.
Mike Rutherford’s homebred BIG LAKE (American Pharoah) debuts for trainer Steve Asmussen. The chestnut colt is the first foal out of Resistivity (Student Council), who was third in the 2014 GII Forward Gal S. Brad Cox saddles Godolphin firster Essential Quality (Tapit), a son of graded placed Delightful Quality (Elusive Quality). TJCS PPs

5th-Saratoga, $72k, Msw, 2yo, 7f, post time: 2:01 p.m.
Shadwell Farm’s homebred MUNQAD (War Front), a half-brother to GIII Gotham S. winner Shagaf (Bernardini), debuts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Olympiad (Speightstown), a $700,000 KEESEP yearling purchase for Grandview Equine and Cheyenne Stables, will look to improve on his third-place effort in his six-furlong debut at Saratoga Aug. 1. Trainer Shug McGaughey sends out Courtlandt Farms homebred firster Greatest Honour (Tapit). The bay colt is out of Tiffany’s Honour (Street Cry {Ire}), a daughter of blue hen mare Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister). TJCIS PPs

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