Yockey’s Warrior repeats in Thanksgiving Handicap

Yockey’s Warrior won the $75,000 Thanksgiving Handicap for the second year in a row, capturing the Thursday feature at Fair Grounds by five lengths as the odds-on favorite.

Yockey’s Warrior led very early in the six-furlong dirt race, was supplanted on the lead by Blue Wings, got outside the pacesetter to press the issue around the far turn, made the front with more than a quarter-mile to run, and never was threatened through the long Fair Grounds homestretch.

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Chublicious finished a distant second as the 9-5 second choice, with Blue Wings holding third and Charming Deputy fourth by default. Mesoma, who was contending for second in midstretch, broke down at about the eighth pole, did not finish, and was vanned off the course. Owner-trainer Wes Hawley said Mesoma had suffered a catastrophic front-leg injury and had to be euthanized.

Yockey’s Warrior, the 121-pound starting highweight, ran six furlongs in a swift 1:09.60 and paid $3.80 to win. Ridden by Miguel Mena, Yockey’s Warrior is trained by Al Stall, who is among several partners that own the horse. Yockey’s Warrior is a 5-year-old horse by Warrior’s Reward and out of the Gone West mare Sila. Lightly raced, he won for the seventh time in 14 starts.