Jackie's Warrior considered for Churchill Downs Stakes after Count Fleet win

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Champion Jackie’s Warrior emerged from his victory in the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn in “fabulous” condition and is now settled in at Churchill Downs, according to his trainer, Steve Asmussen.

Jackie’s Warrior was making his 4-year-old debut in the Count Fleet on April 16. He dueled through quick fractions and was a three-quarter-length winner of the six-furlong race run in the slop. Jackie’s Warrior covered the distance in 1:09.09 and earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We moved him to Churchill Downs on Monday morning and he went to the track here this morning,” Asmussen said Wednesday. “He’s a big, strong horse that I think will benefit from the race.”

Asmussen said Jackie’s Warrior is now under consideration for the Grade 1, $750,000 Churchill Downs on May 7.

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Jackie’s Warrior, the champion male sprinter of 2021 who races for J. Kirk and Judy Robison, won the eighth graded stakes race of his career in the Count Fleet, his first start since finishing sixth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint in November at Del Mar.. It was the fourth Count Fleet win for Asmussen, who saddled winners Justin Phillip in 2013, Lemon Drop Dream in 2014, and eventual champion Mitole in 2019.

“We were talking that a special part of Jackie’s win is that he’s the Eclipse champion who won the Count Fleet,” Asmussen said. “He’s such a fun horse to run and be involved with, and we’re just very grateful for Kirk and Judy allowing us to run an Eclipse champion. That’s very rare.”

Kirk Robison said this would be the final year of racing for Jackie’s Warrior, who will eventually enter stud at Spendthrift Farm.

Robison also called the Count Fleet race a “fun” one with Jackie’s Warrior, who is a multiple Grade 1 winner of more than $1.8 million. His regular rider is Joel Rosario.

“He leaves that gate in a hurry and he did that again,” Robison said. “We could see Joel’s silks 20 feet out of the gate. He got the jump.

“The other horse laid on him for three-eighths of a mile, gave me a little bit of a pause. He got softened up a little bit when they went 21 and 3 for the opening quarter. That’s pretty fast. He shook loose around the turn, horses came running at him late, and he managed to get the job done.”

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Rosario said Jackie’s Warrior has been a special horse for him, and he’s grateful to the Robisons and Asmussen for the mount on the champion.

“He’s more mature now that he’s older,” Rosario said. “And he’s strong. It makes it easy when you ride those kind.”

Rosario previously won the Count Fleet in 2011 with Smiling Tiger.

Jackie’s Warrior is one of two sprint champions to win at the current meet. Ce Ce, the champion female sprinter of 2021, captured the Grade 2 Azeri in March.