$2.3 million Jackie's Warrior filly, Without Hesitation, to debut on turf
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It is well known that the sales topper at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s 2-year-olds in training auction in April was a colt by Flightline who went for $10.5 million. It may not be as well known that the second highest-priced 2-year-old in that auction was a filly by Jackie’s Warrior who fetched $2.3 million.
That filly, named Without Hesitation, is scheduled to make her career debut Friday in a maiden special weight scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. Without Hesitation, trained by Wesely Ward for Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Easy Breeze LLC, and Resolute Racing, is the lone filly facing six colts in the card’s first race.
Without Hesitation is by Jackie’s Warrior out of the Indian Charlie mare Brazen Persuasion. Jackie’s Warrior won six graded stakes, including three Grade 1s, on dirt at Saratoga. Brazen Persuasion won the Grade 3 Schuylerville, also a Saratoga dirt stakes.
So why has Ward elected to debut this filly on turf?
“I really like to run the babies on the grass. They’re all young and immature and it’s really a forgiving surface,” Ward said. “Kudos to New York for letting us breeze them on the grass. She really had an affinity for it. She’d been working well at Keeneland, but her works on the grass at Saratoga were kind of eye-openers to me.
“It’s a good place to start her and I can flip her back to the dirt later on if we want. But turf is a good, safe, kind surface to run a filly we paid so much money for that showed she likes it.”
Without Hesitation will be ridden by Jose Ortiz. Ward said that Ortiz has breezed her several times on the turf.
“He loved her every time,” said Ward, who had Ortiz pop Without Hesitation out of the gate on dirt Sunday but not for a timed workout.