Jackie's Warrior sets fast pace, outduels Dream Shake in Pat Day Mile
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Jackie's Warrior had scored his three previous graded stakes victories around one turn in front-running, freewheeling fashion. But turning for home in the Grade 2, $500,000 Pat Day Mile for 3-year-olds on Saturday, he found himself in a battle. Jackie's Warrior determinedly fended off Dream Shake down the length of the Churchill Downs stretch and prevailed by a head, despite having set wickedly fast early fractions.
"I'm just proud of him," trainer Steve Asmussen said. "You lay down those sort of fractions on a day like today, it just validates who we think he is, and we'll hold him in the esteem he deserves."
Jackie's Warrior ($6.60), a Maclean's Music colt owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, was considered among the best juvenile colts of last season early in his career, winning his first four career starts. That included the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga, and the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park by a combined 10 3/4 lengths.
However, he found a stumbling block going two turns. The colt briefly put his head in front in the lane in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in November at Keeneland, but faded to fourth behind eventual divisional champion Essential Quality.
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In his only start this year, he set the pace going 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy Oaklawn track before finishing third behind Essential Quality and Spielberg in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 27. At that point, the decision was made not to press along to another Kentucky Derby points race and to freshen Jackie's Warrior with a one-turn target in mind.
"Kirk was wonderful about the Southwest," Asmussen said. "The circumstances didn't come up [the way we wanted]. We discussed it, targeted this race, and Jackie's Warrior rewarded us.”
Jackie's Warrior, the second horse out from the rail in the starting gate of 11 horses, jumped away from the gate swiftly under regular rider Joel Rosario. He shook off early pressure from Dream Shake and Dreamer's Disease to his outside and had forged his way to the lead by a head through a wickedly fast opening quarter of 21.75 seconds on the fast track. He edged clear by a half-length to hit the half in an eye-popping 43.68, drawing a swoon from the limited-capacity crowd.
As the field left the half-mile pole and entered the final turn, Dream Shake was undaunted and beginning to rev up again, with his head at Jackie's Warrior's hip. A strong performance from Dream Shake was about to validate his connections' decision to place the colt, who had been third in the Santa Anita Derby in early April, in the mile race instead of stretching out in the Kentucky Derby, for which he did have the qualifying points. But despite the looming presence, Rosario was confident.
"He likes when a horse comes up to him and he really digs in," Rosario said. "I was not worried about the fast early pace because he fights very hard down the stretch."
Turning for home, Jackie's Warrior attempted to shake clear while kept well off the rail under left-handed urging from Rosario – perhaps issuing further evidence that riders did not want to be inside, as Gamine also had been kept off the inner lane by John Velazquez to win the Grade 1 Derby City Distaff one race prior. But Dream Shake, under Flavien Prat, swiftly ate into the two lengths Jackie's Warrior had opened. The two did battle down the lane, with Dream Shake surging furiously in the final yards and Jackie's Warrior holding him off for his head victory.
"I thought I was going to catch him through the length of the stretch," Prat said. "I really thought I was going to get there. My horse ran too good to get beat."
Jackie's Warrior stopped the clock in 1:34.39 for the mile. He was given a 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
After the top two, it was 4 1/2 lengths back to Whiskey Double, who rallied from 10th at the halfway point to best Defunded by a head for third. They were followed, in order, by Sittin On Go, Dreamer's Disease, Starrininmydreams, Prevalence, Joe Frazier, Three Two Zone, and Noble Reflection. Ultimate Badger was scratched on Saturday morning.