Steve Asmussen | Horse Racing Free Tips

As Advertised: Jackie’s Warrior Narrowly Outslugs Life Is Good in Allen Jerkens

This year's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. was billed as a match race between current divisional leader Jackie's Warrior and come-backing 'TDN Rising Star' Life is Good (Into Mischief). The race lived up to that and then some with Jackie's Warrior stubbornly holding off a determined and previously undefeated Life is Good for a narrow victory.

The six-horse field moved as one through the opening strides, but 4-5 favorite Life is Good and 3-2 second-choice Jackie's Warrior quickly separated themselves with the former leading the latter by a length through a sharp first quarter in :21.97. Life is Good tugged his way clear beneath Mike Smith, clocking a half in :44.16 with Jackie's Warrior still keeping the pacesetter well within his earshot. Jackie's Warrior moved up the fence to draw even with Life is Good turning for home and the stage was set. Jackie's Warrior jumped about a length clear in early stretch, but Life is Good was not done yet. The 'TDN Rising Star' found more late, charging up on his rival once again, but Jackie's Warrior held tough to win by a neck. It was 8 3/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Following Sea (Runhappy). Winning conditioner Steve Asmussen also saddled GI Forego S. victor Yaupon (Uncle Mo) one race prior, who completed that seven-panel event in 1:21.74 compared to Jackie's Warrior's final time of 1:21.39.

“Jackie was away clean so I wasn't concerned when Life Is Good outbroke him,” Asmussen said. “He was a comfortable horse. Joel [Rosario] has a tremendous amount of confidence in him. He was traveling nicely and wasn't pulling against him or anything. When they threw up :44 1/5 they were rolling along. They separated from the others.”

He continued, “I watched this race from way up in the stretch on the apron and Joel came into the stretch with horse. He's going to run to the wire. It's out of your hands what the other horses are going to do and Mike [Smith] was confident in his horse [Life Is Good], but when [Jackie] got to the head of the stretch the way he did, you had your chance. This horse is incredible.”

“He broke really well and it looked like Life Is Good was very speedy too, so I decided to stay where I was,” said Rosario. “He [Jackie's Warrior] is a nice horse and ran a tremendous race. I felt confident, but Life Is Good was not giving up and a lot of credit to him too, it was a very good race.”

Runner-up Life is Good was considered the early favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby after winning his first three races for Bob Baffert, including an eight-length romp in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 6. The $525,000 KEESEP buy was knocked off the Derby trail after a chip was discovered in his left hind ankle that required surgery. When his recovery was complete, he was transferred to trainer Todd Pletcher along with several other WinStar owned or co-owned horses.

“I thought he ran super,” Pletcher said. “He ran 1:21 1/5 off a long layoff. It was a big effort.”

Smith, who has been aboard Life is Good for all four of his career starts, said, “He never stops trying. It was his first race back. We're asking him to run against probably the best sprinters in the country, if not the world, to be honest with you right now, and for him to run like he did it was pretty incredible.”

Jackie's Warrior ran the table during most of his juvenile season, following his debut win with decisive scores in the GII Saratoga Special S., GI Hopeful S. and GI Champagne S. He found two turns a bit too far when fourth to Essential Quality (Tapit) as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland in November and lost the Eclipse award to that rival in the process. Tried around two turns once more when making his seasonal bow in a sloppy renewal of Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S., the $95,000 KEESEP buy faded to third behind Essential Quality after setting the early pace. Returning to winning ways when cut back in trip for the GII Pat Day Mile May 1 at Churchill, the bay came up a neck short of Drain the Clock after doing all the heavy lifting in Belmont's GI Woody Stephens S. June 5. Jackie's Warrior got revenge on that rival next out when demolishing him by 7 1/4 lengths in the GII Amsterdam S. over a sloppy Saratoga strip, earning a career best 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pedigree Notes:

Jackie's Warrior is one of four top-level scorers for Maclean's Music, a group that includes Drain the Clock. The Maclean's Music/A.P. Indy cross is also responsible for a third member of that quartet, GI Preakness S. victor Cloud Computing. The winner's dam Unicorn Girl summoned $850,000 from Arthur Hoyeau at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Her now-year-ling colt by American Pharoah preceded her in the ring, bringing $600,000 from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. Unicorn Girl also has an unraced 2-year-old filly named Lenni Girl (Candy Ride {Arg}). She failed to get in foal to Into Mischief for 2021, but was bred back to that stallion last spring.

Saturday, Saratoga
ALLEN JERKENS MEMORIAL S.-GI, $490,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.39, ft.
1–JACKIE'S WARRIOR, 124, c, 3, 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. $275,000.
Lifetime Record: 10-7-1-1, $1,333,964.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Life Is Good, 122, c, 3, Into Mischief–Beach Walk, by
Distorted Humor. 'TDN Rising Star' ($525,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP).
O-CHC Inc.& WinStar Farm LLC; B-Gary & Mary West Stables
Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $100,000.
3–Following Sea, 118, c, 3, Runhappy–Quick Flip, by
Speightstown. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Spendthrift Farm LLC
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 8 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.55, 0.95, 6.70.
Also Ran: Drain the Clock, Newbomb, Judge N Jury.
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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Savage! Yaupon Survives in Wild Stretch Battle in Forego

You had to see it to believe it.

With Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) savaging favored Yaupon (c, 4, Uncle Mo–Modification, by Vindication) repeatedly down the stretch in Saturday's GI Forego S. at Saratoga, the 2-1 pacesetter battled on gamely along the rail to secure a dramatic head victory. Chance It (Currency Swap) was third.

“I will watch that replay many times in my future,” winning trainer Steve Asmussen said. “For that to happen in a Grade I at Saratoga with two horses on the lead, that will be memorable. I was worried he was going to bite Ricardo [Santana, Jr.].”

He continued, “Everybody's always known what a brilliant horse he is, the talent that he's shown and for him to show up today on a stage and beat five Grade I winners was amazing.”

Santana added, “That was kind of scary. That never happened to me before and the only thing I can think is don't stop riding.”

Yaupon led narrowly through fractions of :23.09 and :45.70 with Firenze Fire in hot pursuit, and the stage was set as they turned for home. The two raced shoulder to shoulder in the stretch with Firenze Fire savaging his rival inside the final sixteenth of a mile, biting at his halter. Yaupon never blinked, however, and kept on battling to secure the narrow victory. Three years ago, ironically, it was Firenze Fire who was savaged late by Whereshetoldmetogo (El Padrino) in a winning effort in the GIII Gallant Bob S. at Parx.

Yaupon, a sharp winner of last summer's GII Amsterdam S. at Saratoga, entered off a win over three rivals with a co-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure in Pimlico's Lite the Fuse S. July 4. A perfect four-for-four to start his career, headed by Pimlico's GIII Chick Lang S. Oct. 1, Yaupon concluded his sophomore season with a disappointing eighth as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland Nov. 7. He was eighth once again in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Meydan in his first start this term Mar. 27.

Champion sprinter, 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint winner and 8-year-old fan favorite Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) was pulled up and vanned off with an apparent left front leg injury after finishing fifth and has been retired. He walked onto the van under his own power. “Whitmore is okay and is resting comfortably at the barn,” a Tweet from Moquett Racing read. “Although his injury is small in nature, when he walks out of Stall 19 and gets on the van to go home, it will be as a retired champion.”

Pedigree Notes:

Yaupon, a $255,000 OBS June acquisition (:10), is one of 40 graded winners for leading sire Uncle Mo, a smashing debut winner and 'TDN Rising Star' on the Travers undercard himself back in 2010. Yaupon is the second graded runner out of Modification, whose Sawyer's Hill (Spring At Last) was second in both the 2014 GII Del Mar Derby and GII Twilight Derby.

Her unraced 2-year-old filly Royal Flower (American Pharoah) brought $1.2 million from Mike G. Rutherford at last year's Keeneland September sale. Modification, who is a half-sister to GSW Sky Alliance (Sky Classic), delivered a colt by Good Magic in 2020. The 2009 GI Humana Distaff S. third-place finisher was bred to Curlin for 2022. She brought $195,000 from Betz Thoroughbreds at the 2010 KEENOV Sale.

Saturday, Saratoga
FOREGO S.-GI, $600,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 4yo/up, 7f, 1:21.74, ft.
1–YAUPON, 118, c, 4, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Modification (GISP, $166,116), by Vindication
2nd Dam: Swift Alliance, by Afleet
3rd Dam: Stately Bride, by Tom Rolfe
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($350,000 Ylg '18 KEESEP; $485,000 RNA
2yo '19 FTFMAR; $255,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-L. William and
Corinne Heiligbrodt; B-Betz, Lamantia, CoCo Equine, Magers,
Burns (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr.
$320,000. Lifetime Record: 8-6-0-0, $703,264. *1/2 to
Sawyer's Hill (Spring At Last), MGSP, $366,705. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++
*Triple Plus*.
2–Firenze Fire, 122, h, 6, Poseidon's Warrior–My Every Wish, by
Langfuhr. O-Mr. Amore Stable; B-Mr Amore Stables (FL);
T-Kelly J. Breen. $112,000.
3–Chance It, 118, c, 4, Currency Swap–Vagabon Diva, by
Pleasantly Perfect. O-Shooting Star Thoroughbreds, LLC;
B-Bett Usher (FL); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.. $60,000.
Margins: HD, 2HF, NO. Odds: 2.00, 8.70, 19.20.
Also Ran: Mind Control, Whitmore, Mischevious Alex, Doubly Blessed, Lexitonian.
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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Jackie’s Warrior Favored in Jerkens Memorial

J Kirk and Judy Robison's Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) puts his perfect three-for-three Saratoga record on the line when he faces five rivals in the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. at Saratoga Saturday. The bay colt won last year's GII Saratoga Special S. and GI Hopeful S. and returned to the upstate oval to annex the Aug. 1 GII Amsterdam S. last time out.

“He's done really well,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of Jackie's Warrior. “All three of his races at Saratoga were obviously very good. We're anxious to run him here again.”

A victory would make Jackie's Warrior the third horse in the last four years to capture both the Hopeful at two and the H. Allen Jerkens at three, joining Practical Joke (2018) and Mind Control (2019).

Jackie's Warrior will again match strides with Drain the Clock (Maclean's Music) in the Allen Jerkens. Drain the Clock outbattled Jackie's Warrior to win the June 5 GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont before running a distant second in the Amsterdam.

“Obviously, last time he was well-beaten fair and square by Jackie's Warrior,” said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “We feel on his best day, he's just as good as others in the field. But we have a new challenge in Life Is Good. It should be quite a race, and hopefully he shows up and runs his race.”

'TDN Rising Star' Life is Good (Into Mischief) was considered a likely GI Kentucky Derby favorite before injury knocked him off the Triple Crown earlier this year. The bay colt is unbeaten in three starts having broken his maiden by a front-running 9 1/2 lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar last November and adding the Jan. 2 GIII Sham S. and Mar. 6 GII San Felipe S. He makes his first start for Todd Pletcher and his first start in nearly six months Saturday.

“It's a tall order going into a seven-furlong Grade I off a layoff,” Pletcher said. “The horse has trained extremely well, has been impressive in all his breezes and we like what we've been seeing from him.”

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Mind Control Seeks More Spa Glory in Forego

Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control (Stay Thirsty) will attempt to win his third Grade I victory at Saratoga when he goes postward in the GI Forego S. Saturday. The 5-year-old pulled the 10-1 upset when going wire-to-wire in the 2018 GI Hopeful S. and returned to win the 2019 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S., again at double-digit odds. His Spa streak was interrupted last year when he was third in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. and eighth in the Forego, but he returned to the winner's circle for the first time in over a year when outbattling Firenze Fire (Poseidon's Warrior) in the July 4 GII John A. Nerud S. at Belmont Park last time out.

“He's good at the distance. He's won over the track and seems to be maintaining form,” trainer Todd Pletcher, who saddles Mind Control for the second time Saturday, said. “We expect a tough race, but he's doing good.”

Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), who capped a championship season in 2020 with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, has finished second or third in all four 2021 outings and seeks his first win of the campaign in the Forego. The 8-year-old was second in the Mar. 13 Hot Springs S. and again in the Apr. 10 GII Count Fleet Sprint S. He missed by just a head when third in the May 1 GI Churchill Downs S. and was most recently a rallying third behind Lexitonian (Speightstown) after a troubled trip in the July 31 Vanderbilt.

The speedy Yaupon (Uncle Mo) opened his career with four straight wins last year, including the GII Amsterdam S. over the Saratoga strip. The 4-year-old suffered his first loss when eighth in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and he filled that same spot in the Mar. 27 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen before returning to the winner's circle in the July 4 Lite the Fuse S. at Pimlico last time out.

“[The Breeders' Cup] was too much too soon,” Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen said. “He had run well at Pimlico previously and I thought it was a very fast race. He came out of it in good shape. Obviously, I think he deserves the chance in the Forego. He's run very well at Saratoga, as well.”

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