Jack Christopher back to one turn as he tries to rebound in H. Allen Jerkens

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After turning in a very big effort before ultimately suffering his first setback in five starts while stretching out to nine furlongs in the Grade 1 Haskell, Jack Christopher will attempt to bounce back Saturday at Saratoga when shortening up to seven panels for the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial.

The Grade 1 Jerkens lured a talented field of nine 3-year-olds that includes Gunite and Accretive, who finished first and second a neck apart in the Grade 2 Amsterdam earlier in the meet, along with the speedy Kentucky invader Conagher, who easily handled Gunite when the pair met late this spring at Churchill Downs.

Jack Christopher launched his career with four consecutive one-sided victories that included easy wins going a mile in the Grade 1 Champagne to conclude his brief 2-year-old campaign and the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile to open the 2022 season. He moved to another level with his 10-length victory in the seven-furlong Woody Stephens at Belmont Park, earning a 107 Beyer Speed Figure in the process, before attempting to carry his speed around two turns for the first time in the Haskell.

With regular rider Jose Ortiz aboard, Jack Christopher stalked the pace from the outset of the Haskell, stuck his head in front midway on the second turn after completing a blistering 22.97 third-quarter split, then kept a narrow advantage through the furlong grounds before succumbing grudgingly to Cyberknife and Taiba, beaten just two lengths in the end.

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“I thought he ran great in the Haskell,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He ran a fast three-quarters, fought on nicely, and got beat by two very good horses. The race came up very fast, and if he didn’t have to run such a quick third quarter on the final turn I think he would have been very close at the wire. This horse has never disappointed me.”

Brown said he’s looking forward to cutting Jack Christopher back in distance over a course he knows the son of Munnings likes, having won his maiden here by 8 3/4 lengths in his career debut a year ago.

“The key is he gets a clean break and gets forwardly placed in the race,” Brown said. “I’m not sure what his best distance is now. He ran a great race twice going a mile in the Champagne and Pat Day and obviously he was terrific in the Woody Stephens going seven-eighths. It’s still to be determined what direction we’ll take with him later in the year. Right now, I haven’t thought beyond this race.”

Ortiz will be back aboard Jack Christopher, who carries high weight of 124 pounds under the allowance conditions of the race, conceding from two to six pounds to his eight rivals.

Accretive will be making just his third start on Saturday. He captured his debut in impressive fashion on June 26 at Belmont, drawing off to a 5 3/4-length maiden win before coming back with a huge effort in defeat in the Amsterdam when outgamed to the wire by the vastly more experienced Gunite. He improved 10 points in the Amsterdam to a 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

“This will only be his third start and it’s a lot to ask coming back in just four weeks off a tough, tough stretch duel in the Amsterdam,” said Brown. “I’m always concerned about that, but he’s training very, very well.”

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Gunite bounced back from his second-place finish behind Conagher in his 3-year-old debut with two consecutive hard-fought victories, beginning with a half-length triumph in the seven-furlong Maxfield at Churchill on July 3 as a prelude to his game win in the Amsterdam. Gunite has always put his best foot forward locally, winning the Grade 1 Hopeful and finishing second in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special here last summer.

“I love the draw,” trainer Steve Asmussen said, regarding that Gunite will begin from post 7 on Saturday. “Conagher beat us this year. He’s a very fast horse and must be respected. And Jack Christopther handled us very easily at the tail end of our 2-year-old season, although we’re much fresher for the Allen Jerkens than we were for the Champagne. And I think it’s very obvious he [Gunite] runs his best races at Saratoga.”

Conagher figures to set the pace from the rail and is unbeaten in two starts at seven furlongs, having also won the Housebuster earlier this month at Colonial Downs in addition to his easy allowance win over Gunite earlier in the season.

Runninsonofagun will add blinkers following his distant third-place finish at odds of 56-1 in the Amsterdam and completes the field along with Indiana Derby winner Actuator, Howling Time, Happy Jack, and Totalizer.

– additional reporting by David Grening