Jackie's Warrior headed to Vosburgh to prep for BC Sprint
While trainer Steve Asmussen figures out what to do next with Midnight Bourbon after the colt's game second in the Travers, he said Jackie’s Warrior is “likely” to make his next start in the Grade 2 Vosburgh Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 9 as his prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 6.
Jackie’s Warrior won his second race of the meet by defeating Life Is Good by a neck in Saturday’s Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens. Jackie’s Warrior sat second behind Life Is Good, who set blistering fractions, before rallying on the inside of that one to win. Earlier this meet, Jackie’s Warrior won the Grade 2 Amsterdam.
“I don’t think he’s had any races that aren’t hard,” Asmussen said. “That’s kind of how he does it, isn’t it?”
Asmussen said Midnight Bourbon and Jackie’s Warrior would remain in Saratoga until he finalizes next-race plans for both horses.
Meanwhile, future plans for Life Is Good are also undefined after he suffered his first defeat from four starts Saturday.
Life Is Good, in his first start since March 6, showed more speed under Mike Smith than his connections would have liked. Life Is Good was making his first start for trainer Todd Pletcher.
“Our game plan was to let him break and get into a comfortable rhythm,” Pletcher said. “He’s gifted enough where he can go that fast kind of effortlessly. Coming off that kind of layoff, ideally you don’t want to go that fast but he did.”
Pletcher said there are multiple races in play for Life Is Good’s next start, including the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 25, the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap going a one-turn mile at Belmont the same day, or the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward at Belmont on Oct. 2.
Pletcher said a decision on the next race will likely be made based on what, if any, Breeders’ Cup race Life Is Good would be pointed to in November.
“With the timing of his season this year, it might not be a Classic year,” Pletcher said. “That’s one of the things we’ll have to weigh into the decision.”
Yaupon straight to Breeders’ Cup
Like Brad Cox in the Classic with Knicks Go and Essential Quality, trainer Steve Asmussen will have a powerful 1-2 punch in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint with Jackie’s Warrior and Yaupon.
Yaupon overcame being savaged by Firenze Fire in the stretch to win the Grade 1 Forego Stakes by a head over Firenze Fire.
Yaupon, the beaten favorite in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, has shown the ability to run well fresh, giving Asmussen the confidence to point him straight to the Breeders’ Cup.
Asmussen said that after the savage incident, he will train Yaupon “in company to see if he wants to do it back, so to speak,” he said.
Yaupon, a son of Uncle Mo who has now won 6 of 8 starts, earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure for his Forego victory.
Beau Liam scores again, with 107 Beyer
Beau Liam, yet another top sprinter in the Asmussen barn, made it 3 for 3 with a six-length victory in a second-level allowance here on Sunday. He ran 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.05 and earned a 107 Beyer Speed Figure, besting the 106 he earned winning a first-level allowance here on July 17.
Asmussen, on Monday via text, mentioned the Grade 3, $300,000 Ack Ack, a one-turn mile race at Churchill Downs on Oct. 2, as a possible next start for the 3-year-old son of Liam’s Map owned by Stonestreet Stables.