Jackie’s warrior is the one to defeat at Spa’s Vanderbilt
Last year, after finishing with a 6 3/4 length win in the Gallant Bob Stakes (G2) at Racing Parxjockey Joel Rosario jumps out of a Thoroughbred dynamo named Jackie’s Warrior and was asked how it feels to ride such a fine-tuned horse.
Rosario smiled and suggested this:
“He runs fast,” he said. “And then he ran faster.”
And so it suits the son of the speedball Music by Maclean . Owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Jackie’s Warrior, one of the parade horses in 2022 Racecourse Saratoga meet, it will be hard to beat as he tops the six-horse field in the $350,000 Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G1) match on July 30.
The 4-year-old has won 11 of his 15 career starts and has won all three starts this year for Hall of Fame coach Steve Asmussen. A year ago, Jackie’s Warrior won the Eclipse Award as the champion male sprinter.
In the last two races, Jackie’s Warrior was just toying with his opponent. He won True North Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park 10 June equals five lengths; on May 7, he was the winner of four lengths of the Churchill Downs Shares presented by Ford (G1).
He runs. He won. Repeat cycle.
Jackie’s Warrior has won all four starts at Saratoga. At the age of 2, he won the Saratoga Special Stakes presented by Miller Lite (G2), Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1). Last summer, he won 7 1/4 of the length in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2) and then won the race for the ages when he went ahead. Life is good with a neck in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1).
Asmussen said: “Winning a graded bet in Saratoga is a noble task. “Vanderbilt is another opportunity to run him at Saratoga, where I think he’s had the best races.”
In Vanderbilt, Jackie’s Warrior will carry a maximum weight of 127 pounds, the heaviest he has ever had to transport.
When Jackie’s Warrior is right – and he’s only been out of the table twice, in two Breeders’ Cup races – it’s nearly impossible to knock him down. He took the lead and he just kept going.
Five more horses are preparing for the challenge of Vanderbilt: Zenith Racing’s Long Range Toddy , trained by Dallas Stewart; John Fanelli, LC Racing, Cash is King, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley’s Traffic Ny , trained by Saffie Joseph Jr.; Ten Strike Racing, Jeremy Sussman, and Cory Moelis Racing’s Kneedeepinsnow , trained by Matt Shirer; Bill Cosgrove’s Willy Boi , trained by Jorge Delgado; and Russell Staggs’ Doc Amster also trained by Delgado.
They know the level of difficulty is high in this mission.
“It seems almost an impossible mission if Jackie’s Warrior does his race,” Stewart said by phone from Kentucky. “Something weird has to happen. Like Jackie isn’t doing a good job or Jackie isn’t feeling good or Jackie isn’t doing something. He’s a superstar and he’s probably unbeatable.”
“You have to try it,” Joseph said outside his barn on the back bench of Saratoga. “It’s Warrior Jackie’s race to win and we’re a participant. You can’t beat him, in fact, but it’s a horse race. Lots of horses are beaten without fail. defeated.”