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Champion Jackie’s Warrior Wins For Fun in True North

Fleet-footed champion Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) was fittingly hammered down to 1-5 favoritism against an overmatched field in Belmont's GII True North S. Friday and he more than ran to that backing with a dominant victory.

Hustling up to take his preferred position at the head of affairs, Jackie's Warrior was confronted by 12-1 shot Mr Phil (Mr Speaker), but he easily shook that foe off as the opening quarter went up in :22.83. Loping along on a loose rein under Joel Rosario, the bay clocked a half-mile in :45.52. Two wide turning for home, Jackie's Warrior was still on cruise control in the lane, sailing home to a facile five-length victory. Sound Money (Flatter) was best of the rest in second.

“It took a little time to get him going, but he was just doing his thing after that,” Rosario said. “He's a special horse. I just sat and let him do his thing and he's unbelievable. He means everything. So many great memories. He's very smart and fast and he's on my list as one of the top horses [I've ridden]. I looked back and was so far in front and decided to save some for the next one. You can see I never showed the stick. He did it all on his own.”

“It's as simple as he's very fast,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “It's a race and he's a very fast horse that has a tremendous amount of poise and confidence about himself. How he's handling races and all three of his runs this year, he's eased up late [with] good separation from them.”

As for what's next, the Hall of Famer said, “We're very excited to be able to go to Saratoga with him with the success there. I expect to run him in the [GI] Vanderbilt [July 30], the [GI] Forego [Aug. 27] and the Breeders' Cup [Sprint].”

A two-time Grade I winner in New York at two, Jackie's Warrior captured the GII Pat Day Mile last year and missed by just a neck in the GI Woody Stephens S. on this weekend in 2021. Rebounding with a 7 1/4-length tour de force in Saratoga's GII Amsterdam S., he won a knock-down, drag out battle with MGISW Life is Good (Into Mischief) in that venue's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. four weeks later. The chestnut ran a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 110 when romping in the GII Gallant Bob S. at Parx in September, but faded to sixth as the heavy favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint S. at Del Mar Nov. 6. Jackie's Warrior is two-for-two so far this year with effortless scores in the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. at Oaklawn Apr. 16 and the GI Churchill Downs S. May 7.

Pedigree Notes:
A future Spendthrift stallion, Jackie's Warrior is one of four Grade I winners for Maclean's Music. His dam Unicorn Girl summoned $850,000 from bloodstock agent Arthur Hoyeau at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Her then-weanling colt by American Pharoah preceded her into the ring, bringing $600,000 from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. She failed to get in foal to Into Mischief for 2021, but had a filly by that super sire Mar. 18 of this year. She also has a 3-year-old daughter named Lenni Girl (Candy Ride {Arg}), who has been retained by her breeders.

Friday, Belmont Park
TRUE NORTH S.-GII, $300,000, Belmont, 6-10, 4yo/up, 6 1/2f, 1:15.09, ft.
1–JACKIE'S WARRIOR, 124, c, 4, 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. $165,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Male Sprinter & MGISW, 15-11-1-1, $2,474,664. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Sound Money, 118, c, 4, Flatter–Vegas Trip, by Aldebaran. ($200,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). O-Klaravich Stables Inc; B-Lannister Holdings & Glidawn Stud (KY); T-Chad C Brown. $60,000.
3–War Tocsin, 118, g, 6, Violence–Being Anna, by Aldebaran. ($14,000 RNA Ylg '17 KEESEP; $11,000 2yo '18 EASDEC). O/T-Uriah St Lewis; B-Hare Forest Farm Ltd (KY). $36,000.
Margins: 5, 7, NK. Odds: 0.25, 5.40, 69.50.
Also Ran: Baby Yoda, Mr Phil, Night Time. 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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Firenze Fire Repeats In The True North

Dashing out to a fast start, Firenze Fire dueled with Flagstaff for a half-mile and pulled away in the stretch to repeat in the Grade 2 True North Stakes at Belmont Park. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Firenze Fire broke cleanly from post position one, took a short lead in the opening strides, and was quickly joined by Lane's End's Flagstaff, with American Power and Wicked Trick trailing.

The two leaders set fast early fractions, going :22.71 for the first quarter and then :45.39 for the half-mile. As the field of seven turned for home, Firenze Fire pulled away from Flagstaff to win by a length and a half in 1:15.52 for the six-and-a-half furlongs. American Power finished third with Wicked Trick in fourth. Phat Man, Looking at Bikinis, and Big Engine completed the field.

Owned by Mr. Amore Stable and trained by Kelly Breen, Firenze Fire is a Florida-bred 6-year-old horse by Poseidon's Warrior (Speightstown) out of My Every Wish (Langfuhr). Firenze Fire's previous victories include the Grade 3 Runhappy Stakes, the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes, and the 2020 edition of the G2 True North, all at Belmont Park.

See full chart here.

Jose Ortiz picked up the mount on Firenze Fire from his brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr., who is out for two weeks with an injury sustained on June 3. After the race, he shared what his brother had to say about the son of Poseidon's Warrior: “He [Irad] said he's a very nice horse and that he was going to break good. He told me he thought he was a better horse on the outside. But he got the rail and he jumped good and I didn't want to take anything away from him. I rode him like he was the best horse and he was the best horse.”

Trainer Kelly Breen was pleased with his horse's repeat victory in the True North.

“He's been training great. I think he's more even-keel now.” Breen told the NYRA press office. “I'm getting to know him even more than last year and maybe he's getting to know me, also. It's a pretty good combo right now. The first quarter was :22.3 and that's in his wheelhouse. I said we should be fine and I said that to Ron [Lombardi, the owner of Mr. Amore Stable]. That wasn't the original game plan, although we left the game plan up to Jose Ortiz. He came back and said he's a very nice horse. That's it. He's a class horse.”

Firenze Fire went off as the even-money favorite and paid $4.10, $2.60, and $2.30. Flagstaff (4-1) paid $3.70 and $3.10. American Power (15-1) paid $3.80 to show.

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Streaking Flagstaff Chasing Third Straight Win In Friday’s True North

Grade 1-winner Flagstaff bested Eclipse award-winner Whitmore in a thrilling finish last out and will look to win his third consecutive stakes race as part of a seven-horse field in Friday's Grade 2, $300,000 True North for 4-year-olds and up sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs over the main track at Belmont Park.

The 43rd running of the True North is one of five stakes on the Friday card as part of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival that commences Thursday and runs through Saturday, which will be highlighted by the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets.

The True North will see Flagstaff, owned by Lane's End Racing and Hronis Racing, enter off his first career Grade 1 score, when he edged both Lexitonian and Whitmore by a head in a blanket finish in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs on May 1.

The John Sadler trainee started his 2021 campaign with a fourth-place effort in the King Cotton before earning his first black type as a 7-year-old when third in the Hot Springs. The son of Speightstown then posted a 1 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Commonwealth going seven furlongs on April 3 at Keeneland before topping a 12-horse field last out.

“It was great, he ran two dynamite races in Kentucky,” Sadler said. “Both of those races were seven furlongs, but we think that 6 1/2 furlongs should be good for him, also.”

Unraced until his 4-year-old year, Flagstaff has made up for lost time, winning stakes at ages 5, 6, and 7. After making the bulk of his starts in California, Flagstaff will ship to New York for the first time, drawing post 2. Luis Saez, aboard for the Churchill Downs victory, will have the return engagement.

“He almost has no bad races on his form,” Sadler said. “He's just a nice honest horse and has run with top class horses all the time. He's well-bred and he's a gelding so we try to take good care of him and make him last.”

Mr. Amore Stable's Firenze Fire, winner of the Grade 3 Runhappy going six furlongs at Belmont on May 8, has recorded Beyer figures of 90 or better in six of his last seven starts for conditioner Kelly Breen.

Firenze Fire won last year's edition of the True North, topping Stan the Man, and is 6-1-0 in nine career starts at Belmont, including three straight wins at the track, and has not lost in Elmont since running fourth in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap last June on Big Sandy.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. won the race aboard Firenze Fire in 2020 and will ride again, breaking from the rail.

Long Lake Stable and Madaket Stables' Looking At Bikinis bested optional claimers going seven furlongs last out on April 24 at Belmont and will be returning to stakes company for the first time in four starts for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The son of Lookin At Lucky ran 11th in the 2019 Grade 1 Travers last year and capped his 3-year-old year with a fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile that December at the Big A. After racing just twice in 2020, Looking At Bikinis earned a 94 Beyer last out in his 5-year-old bow. He will now look to improve to 4-for-4 running at Belmont.

“It's one of those things where he was able to knock out an allowance win there and has no more conditions to work with and you try a stakes with him,” Brown said. “I thought, between this and the Met Mile, it was an easier spot for him. With the cutback, hopefully he gets a strong pace and a clean outside trip where he can make a run.”

Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be in the irons from post 5.

“He's a funny horse,” Brown said. “Sometimes he shows up and runs great races and other times he's left us scratching our head. A wet track should be fine for him if it happens.”

Phat Man, fifth in the Churchill Downs last out, will be looking for his first stakes win since the 2020 Grade 3 Fred W. Hooper in January at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Kent Sweezey, Phat Man has not run at Belmont since 2017.
Owned by Marianne Stribling, Force Five Racing and Two Rivers Racing Stable, Phat Man will break from the outermost post 7 with Joel Rosario aboard.

American Power, trained by Rob Atras, won the Caixa Eletronica in March at Aqueduct and will be returning to stakes competition after running second against optional claimers on April 24 at Belmont. Kendrick Carmouche rides from post 4.

Trainer Linda Rice will send out a pair of contenders in Big Engine, third in the Affirmed Success on April 23 at Belmont, and Wicked Trick, who ran fourth in last year's True North and ran second in his first stakes appearance of 2021 last out in the Grade 3 Westchester on May 1 at Belmont, finishing behind 2020 Belmont Stakes runner-up Dr Post.

“Hopefully, he can improve off his last effort; he's going to have to with this class,” Rice said. “But we thought this would be an interesting spot for us.”

Eric Cancel will ride Big Engine from post 3, while Jose Lezcano has the call on Wicked Trick aboard post 6.

“Big Engine, like Wicked Trick, has experience on this track, so that helps, for sure,” Rice said.

The True North is named for the 1945 winner of the Fall Highweight Handicap and on Friday will be contested as Race 7 at 4:07 p.m. Eastern. First post is 12:50 p.m.

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Favored Firenze Fire Returns To Winning Ways In True North

Mr. Amore Stables' Firenze Fire backed up his favoritism with a three-wide move at the top of the stretch to secure a fourth triumph over the Belmont Park main track in Elmont, N.Y., in Saturday's 42nd running of the Grade 2, $150,000 True North.

The 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Poseidon's Warrior made his second start for trainer Kelly Breen in the 6 ½-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and upward, following a distant fourth to Vekoma in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter held June 6 at Belmont on a sloppy main track.

“For sure, he needed that last race,” Breen said. “I think the track had something to do with it last time out. He ran fast. He's run fast races before. He's a nice horse. When things click like that, it doesn't get much better than that.”

Piloted by Irad Ortiz Jr., Firenze Fire broke sharply from his outside post and tracked in fourth while Yorkton took charge recording an opening quarter-mile in 22.84 seconds with Stan the Man in second and Diamond King along the rail in third.

Ortiz gave Firenze Fire his cue at the top of the stretch with Stan the Man taking command and tipped his charge four wide in pursuit. At the eighth-pole, Firenze Fire found himself in front as he drew off to a 1 ½-length victory in a time of 1:09.39. Stan the Man finished second, 3 ½ lengths ahead of Yorkton.

Rounding out the order of finish were Wicked Trick, Diamond King and Midnightcharly.

In addition to a fourth victory over Big Sandy, the True North was a sixth graded stakes triumph for Firenze Fire, whose victories at such caliber also include the Grade 1 Champagne in 2017 and the Grade 3 Dwyer in 2018, both at Belmont Park.

A winner at seven different tracks, the well-travelled Firenze Fire last found the winner's circle two starts back in the Grade 3 General George on February 15 at Laurel Park when trained by Jason Servis.

Everything went according to plan according to Ortiz.

“He did everything right. We broke and got into a good position and I was just waiting,” said Ortiz, who scored his fourth victory on Saturday's program aboard Firenze Fire. “Turning for home, I asked him and he responded really well. We were close to the pace, but I just held him together. I didn't want to be fighting, so I just tried to let him relax and he really responded when I asked.”

Breen said that the long term goal for Firenze Fire is the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships on November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course.

“Hopefully, we can move onward to Saratoga and find a nice spot for him there. The goal is to get him to the Breeders' Cup,” Breen said.

Returning $4.20 for a $2 win bet, Firenze Fire inched his way closer to the $2 million-earning mark banking $82,500 in victory while pushing his lifetime earnings to $1,939,250. His record now stands at 26-11-3-2.

Jockey Joel Rosario, aboard runner-up Stan the Man, offered no excuses.

“The winner ran big. I can't complain with the result,” Rosario said. “We had a good trip. We were in good position and he was carrying me nicely. Turning for home, I thought we were going to win but we were just second-best today.”

A homebred, Firenze Fire is out of the Langfuhr broodmare My Every Wish.

Live racing resumes Sunday with a nine-race card headlined by the $100,000 Bouwerie, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomore fillies in Race 8 at 5:04 p.m. Eastern. First post is 1:15 p.m.

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