Jackie’s Warrior easily carried his speed a mile in Saturday’s $250,000 Champagne (G1) at Belmont Park, drawing away to a 5 1/2-length decision, and stamped his ticket for the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland.
The Steve Asmussen trainee earned an expenses-paid Juvenile berth in the “Win & You’re In” event, and Jackie’s Warrior also picked up 10 points for winning the Road to the Kentucky Derby series qualifier.
One race after the Champagne, Dayoutoftheoffice improved to 3-for-3 with a two-length triumph in the $250,000 Frizette (G1). The mile race awarded a spot to the Juvenile Fillies (G1) and offered points on a 10-4-2-1 scale to the top four finishers as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series.
Champagne
Jackie’s Warrior will have to stretch to two turns for the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile, but his rivals must catch him. Owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, the Maclean’s Music colt left the starting gate as the 4-5 favorite with Joel Rosario and sped away to a 1 1/2-length lead through an opening quarter-mile in :23.12.
Reinvestment Risk, who was exiting a non-threatening second to Jackie’s Warrior in the Sept. 7 Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga, stalked the pacesetter in second as the even-money second choice. Jackie’s Warrior completed the half-mile in :46.54, and he floated his challenger wide while beginning to widen his advantage entering the stretch.
The only question was how far he would win by. Jackie’s Warrior cruised to the wire while being geared down late, stopping the teletimer in 1:35.42.
“He’s a beautiful horse; a big horse, and it looks like everything he does is easy for him,” Rosario said. “I was very confident that he could get the mile. I felt confident the whole way. He just enjoyed what he was doing.”
“He had an easy half-mile and I’m surprised he came home that quick,” Asmussen’s Belmont Park-based assistant Toby Sheets said. “He’s very impressive. He’s a class act and does everything correct. The one-turn mile certainly didn’t seem to bother him.”
Reinvestment Risk held second, 8 3/4 lengths better than 7-1 third choice Midnight Bourbon in third. Civil War, Run Casper Run, and Ambivalent completed the order of finish.
Jackie’s Warrior dusted foes when making his career debut in 5-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs in mid-June, and the bay speedster came back to win the Aug. 7 Saratoga Special (G2) by three lengths in his second start. He posted a 2 1/4-length, wire-to-wire decision in the aforementioned 7-furlong Hopeful.
Bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, Jackie’s Warrior was purchased for $95,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He’s the first stakes winner from the A.P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl, a half-sister to stakes winner Bernie the Maestro.
Jackie’s Warrior has now earned $402,564.
Frizette
Unraced since a six-length win in the July 16 Schuylerville (G3) at Saratoga, Dayoutoftheoffice showed no rust off the 12-week freshening in the Frizette. The dark bay stalked the pace in second, advanced to the fore nearing the conclusion of the far turn, and accelerated clear into the stretch.
Owned by trainer Timothy Hamm and breeder Siena Farms, the Into Mischief filly completed the mile distance in 1:35.82.
Junior Alvarado was up on the 29-10 second choice among six runners.
Vequist, who was favored at 4-5 following a 9 1/2-length tally in the Sept. 6 Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga, tried to catch the winner in the latter stages but came up a couple of lengths short in second. It was another 10 1/4 lengths to 29-1 third-placer Cilla, who was followed by Joy’s Rocket, Cantata, and Get On the Bus.
Dayoutoftheoffice opened her racing career with a near five-length score over maiden special weight foes at Gulfstream Park in mid-May. She’s now bankrolled $216,500.
The Kentucky-bred filly is out of the Indian Charlie mare Gottahaveadream, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Here Comes Ben.
