2021 Eclipse Awards: Jackie's Warrior

Jackie’s Warrior won four graded stakes last year and one was widely considered one of the best races of 2021.

The Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial in August at Saratoga matched the undefeated Life Is Good against Jackie’s Warrior. It was a showdown not to be missed, and after a battle for the books it was Jackie’s Warrior by a neck over favorite Life Is Good.

“I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a better horse race than the Allen Jerkens,” Steve Asmussen, who trains Jackie’s Warrior, told Daily Racing Form. “He’s absolutely a brilliant horse. When you lead him over and watch him in the paddock you just think how glad you are to have him on your team. As a trainer, any time you get to run a Jackie’s Warrior, you feel great.”

The unforgettable performance is one of the reasons Jackie’s Warrior is a finalist for the Eclipse Award for champion male sprinter of 2021. His body of work last year also included wins in the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile presented by LG&E and KU at Churchill Downs, the Grade 2 Amsterdam at Saratoga, and the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx Racing. In the Gallant Bob, Jackie’s Warrior put up a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 110, which was one of the top numbers earned in all of 2021.

:: Full list of 2021 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

“He’s garnered a lot of attention for the right reasons,” J. Kirk Robison, who races Jackie’s Warrior with wife Judy, told Daily Racing Form in October. “He’s a tough horse. He’s never missed a day of training. He started his career with four wins in a row, including two Grade 1s. Incredible.

“By far and away, he’s the best horse we’ve ever had. We’re very grateful for the horse.”

The Robisons are 25-year veterans in racing. They purchased Jackie’s Warrior as a yearling during the Keeneland September auction in 2019. The couple paid $95,000 for the colt, who a year later closed out his first season of racing with wins in the Grade 1 Hopeful and Grade 1 Champagne.

“His strength sprinting comes in his second quarter-mile,” Asmussen said. “It’s unprecedented how easy he seems to do it. That’s literally where he wins those races. He’s just such a fun horse to watch run.”

Joel Rosario is the regular rider of Jackie’s Warrior.

“He likes when a horse comes up to him and he really digs in,” Rosario told Daily Racing Form following the Pat Day Mile. “I was not worried about the fast early pace because he fights very hard down the stretch.”

Jackie’s Warrior is a son of Maclean’s Music and the mare Unicorn Girl, who won 19 races. He was bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables. Jackie’s Warrior has a career record of eight wins from 12 starts for earnings of $1,553,964.