All signs point to Jackie's Warrior in True North

ELMONT, N.Y. – With a record-setting 9,777 victories to his credit as of Wednesday morning, Steve Asmussen has trained more than a few good horses over the years, and it’s clear when talking to him that his admiration for Jackie’s Warrior is sky high.

“We’re spoiled by him,” Asmussen said.

Jackie’s Warrior has won 10 of his 14 career starts, but take out his two attempts going two turns, and he’s 10 for 12. He’s won Grade 1 races at 2, 3, and, last time out, 4. He was last year’s male sprint champion. What he didn’t do last year was win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and his entire campaign in 2022 is designed to get him to that race this year at Keeneland and right that wrong.

Jackie’s Warrior has come out swinging. He won his first start off an abbreviated work tab, then won his second off abbreviated rest. He comes into the Grade 2, $300,000 True North on Friday here at Belmont Park having had 34 days to prepare for the 6 1/2-furlong race. With his keen speed and glittering résumé, his five rivals are up against it. David Aragona, who makes the morning line at Belmont Park, acknowledged as much, tabbing Jackie’s Warrior at 2-5 to run his record to 11 for 15.

Last time out, on the Derby Day card at Churchill Downs, Jackie’s Warrior rolled to a four-length victory going seven furlongs in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 105, the fifth time he’s hit at least 100. That race came just three weeks after a comeback victory going six furlongs in the Grade 3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn. Sidelined with a knee chip following the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar, in which he finished sixth, Jackie’s Warrior is giving the impression that if you couldn’t beat him early this year, good luck the rest of the year.

“He had two very tough races in a short period of time,” Asmussen said of the Count Fleet-Churchill Downs parlay. The True North, Asmussen said, “is the right spot for him right now, keeping our eye on the Breeders’ Cup as the goal.”

Jackie’s Warrior has thrown down opening quarter-miles in less than 22 seconds in six of his last eight races, and he again figures to zip to the front under regular rider Joel Rosario, who has been aboard for all the major touchstones of his career, most notably the Champagne at 2 and Allen Jerkens at 3.

“He’s the same horse he’s been since a 2-year-old, an absolute freak,” Asmussen said.

Jackie’s Warrior has raced twice at Belmont. In addition to the Champagne, he was second last year in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens after getting bothered leaving the gate.

Jackie’s Warrior carries top weight of 124 pounds in the True North, with his five rivals all carrying 118 each.

The vastly improved Mr Phil, who breaks from the rail, figures to be closest to Jackie’s Warrior in the early going. He has won three straight since being claimed for $32,000 in February by trainer Rob Atras, for whom he’s recorded three straight Beyer Figures of 91 or better, including a career-best 101 last time out, after failing to reach 90 in his previous 28 starts for Jim Ryerson.

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Baby Yoda moves back into stakes competition after dropping into starter-allowance company for a pair of recent victories that ended a four-race losing streak that followed his freakish allowance win last summer at Saratoga in which he got a 114 Beyer.

Sound Money, a distant second in the Grade 3 Westchester last time out, cuts back in distance after three straight one-turn miles. Trainer Chad Brown is removing blinkers, and adding Irad Ortiz Jr.

Night Time returned from an eight-month layoff to win a second-level allowance May 3 at Churchill Downs while equaling his career-best Beyer Figure of 96.

War Tocsin is the race longshot. He’s in the midst of a 12-race losing streak, has won just 3 of 40 starts, and was well beaten in both his prior starts at Belmont, both run over off tracks.

The True North goes as race 9 on the 11-race card. Safe to say a lot of multi-race wagers will be treating it as a bingo free space.