Yockey's Warrior has got it together for Thanksgiving Handicap

Three times the last four years Tom Amoss has trained the winner of the Thanksgiving Handicap at Fair Grounds. His childhood friend and fellow New Orleans native Al Stall would like to get in on the action this season.

Stall sends out Yockey’s Warrior on Thursday in the Thanksgiving, which is worth a relatively modest $75,000, but means more than the mere purse to New Orleanians like Amoss and Stall, who year after year spent Thanksgiving afternoon at Fair Grounds on what, historically, was the track’s first card of the season.

“It’s a race I’ve never won, and I’d like to,” said Stall, who saw his Central Banker edged in a tight photo three years ago.

Yockey’s Warrior makes his stakes debut on the heels of a sharp allowance win at Keeneland, though he showed stakes-level talent as far back as his career debut in a February 2015 maiden race at Fair Grounds. In eight subsequent starts, Yockey’s Warrior only has flashed that ability periodically, though he put it all together last month.

“He’s had some throat issues, pneumonia,” said Stall, who raced Yockey’s Warrior in front bandages last out because the horse “catches a sesamoid” on a foreleg with one of his hind hooves.

Yockey’s Warrior got a 93 Beyer Speed Figure for that win last month, his co-highest number since a 96 in his debut, and Stall has been cognizant of potential regression in the Thanksgiving.

“I’ve just given him easy breezes, trying to prevent a reaction off that race,” Stall said.

Yockey’s Warrior has speed but was able to stalk the pace from an outside post at Keeneland, and Stall hopes for a similar trip from a similar draw Thursday since there is ample speed in the Thanksgiving. Including Yockey’s Warrior, five of the entrants have front-running tendencies, among them Union Jackson, the 2-1 morning-line favorite.

Like Yockey’s Warrior, Union Jackson was eased into stakes competition after several allowance starts. No sooner did he make his stakes debut, finishing third June 4 in the Aristides at Churchill to Alsvid and Limousine Liberal, two of the Midwest’s best sprinters, than Union Jackson was taken out of action, a break from racing that only ends Thursday. A talented son of Curlin trained by Steve Asmussen for Stonestreet Stables, Union Jackson did not debut until late in his 3-year-old season, and his past performances show five layoff lines accompanying seven starts.

Clearly Now, the 120-pound highweight, has a late-running style that could be flattered by Thursday’s race shape, but Clearly Now is almost 7, hasn’t raced since April, and before the break already seemed past his prime.

More appealing as a late-running hope is Amoss’s horse Quijote. Quijote also made his most recent start at Keeneland, and he showed good energy rallying for second in an allowance race restricted to 3-year-olds. He won twice on the Fair Grounds main track last meet and has more upside than his older rivals. It could wind up, after all, being another satisfying Thanksgiving in the Amoss stable.