Jackie's Warrior gets BC Sprint focus with Gallant Bob triumph
BENSALEM, Pa. - Jackie's Warrior stamped himself as the horse to beat in next month's Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar after dominating four other 3-year-olds in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gallant Bob Stakes traveling six furlongs at Parx Racing.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for J Kirk and Judy Robison, Jackie's Warrior broke clean from the far outside post and sparred with Real Talk through an opening quarter of 21.97 seconds.
Jackie's Warrior dispatched Real Talk on the turn, turned for home with a clear advantage after a half-mile in 44.13 and breezed to the wire under Ricardo Santana Jr. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 110.
The Maclean's Music colt polished off the distance in 1:08.64 over the fast track and paid $2.10 as the 1 to 20 betting favorite. Pickin' Time finished 6 3/4 lengths behind in second with another 3 1/4-length gap back to Real Talk. Awesome Gerry and Beren were next.
"He's very exciting to watch," Asmussen said after Jackie's Warrior returned to the winner's circle to a rousing ovation from the Pennsylvania Derby card crowd. "What a very special horse he's been. He's run some extremely game races and we're hoping that was the ideal prep for the Breeders' Cup Sprint."
Jackie's Warrior defeated Life Is Good in a thrilling renewal of the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga on Aug. 28. That strenuous race influenced Asmussen's decision to run in the Gallant Bob instead of a more conventional Breeders' Cup Sprint prep such as the Grade 2, $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont on Oct. 9.
"He ran so valiantly with Life Is Good. They both ran such a good race that day that we felt this race and giving him a little more time from here to the Breeders' Cup was the right thing to do."
Asmussen stated that Jackie's Warrior will fly from Newark Airport to Southern California on Tuesday to begin his final preparations for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.