Adam Coglianese / NYRA Photo

Jackie’s Warrior much the best in wiring G2 Amsterdam field

by Brian Bohl

Jackie’s Warrior surged to the front, set fast fractions and closed strong in a gate-to-wire 7 1/4-length victory in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Amsterdam for 3-year-olds sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs on Saratoga Race Course’s main track.

Owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Jackie’s Warrior won for the sixth time in nine starts and improved to 3-for-3 at the Spa, adding to his scores as a juvenile in last year’s Grade 2 Saratoga Special and Grade 1 Hopeful.

Not even a half-hour delay due to heavy rainfall deterred Jackie’s Warrior, who broke from post under 3 under Joel Rosario as the 1-2 favorite and led the six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 21.46 seconds and the half in 43.85 over a sloppy and sealed track.

In the turn, Jackie’s Warrior continued to open up on Grade 1 Woody Stephens-winner Drain the Clock, who tracked in second position under rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. Entering the stretch, Jackie’s Warrior maintained his edge with Crowded Trade making a bid from the inside. But no challengers emerged in the final furlong to seriously contest Jackie’s Warrior, who drew away and was geared down before the wire in completing the course in 1:15.46, besting runner-up Drain the Clock.

Jackie’s Warrior notched his fifth career graded stakes win – adding to a list that includes the 2020 Grade 1 Champagne at Belmont and this year’s Grade 2 Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs – and posted the largest margin of victory of his career. The Maclean’s Music colt also turned the tables on Drain the Clock, who edged him by a neck in last month’s Woody Stephens presented by Nassau County Industrial Development Agency on Belmont Stakes Day.

“We got caught being overly confident last time. He [Rosario] helped him away from there today and held him together and the horse ran extremely well,” said Steve Asmussen, Jackie’s Warrior’s Hall of Fame trainer. “He’s a very special horse. I think that he’s shown that on many occasions. He gets the respect I think he deserves and it’s extremely fun to watch him run.

“He won on an off track today, which is the first time, and to get that variable out of the way knowing that weather doesn’t care how important we think something is, that he’ll be able to handle that going forward,” Asmussen added.

Asmussen increased his career win total to 9,442, moving within three of tying Dale Baird’s all-time mark for a conditioner.

“Today was a day we felt very live,” Asmussen said. “We had 10 runners and two winners. They all ran well. Any day you have Jackie’s Warrior win the Amsterdam like that, you feel pretty good as a trainer. But we are three wins away, so we’ll have to pick up our slack at Louisiana Downs these next couple of days.”

Jackie’s Warrior, bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables, moved to 9-6-1-1 and returned $3 on a $2 win wager, achieving millionaire status by increasing his career earnings to $1,058,964.

“He broke really well today; better than last time,” Rosario said. He’s fast and then he just kept going. That’s what he likes to do.

“He just got out of there and does it so easy. He’s amazing. He’s so fast. It doesn’t even feel like he’s going that fast,” he continued.

Asmussen said the Grade 1, $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens for sophomores going seven furlongs on Runhappy Travers Day August 28 could be his next target.

“Jackie’s Warrior’s resume here at Saratoga is hard to match. This race was to get right back on track for the Jerkens,” Asmussen said. “With his performance today on top of what he did in the Pat Day Mile, he’ll have a lot to say in the one-turn division the rest of the year.”

Drain the Clock, who had tallied wins in the Grade 3 Bay Shore at Aqueduct Racetrack before registering his first Grade 1 win in the Woody Stephens, outkicked the Chad Brown-trained Crowded Trade by one length for second.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said Drain the Clock is ticketed to the H. Allen Jerkens.

“He got beat fair-and-square today,” Joseph, Jr. said. “We’ll try again next time. We’ll go to the Jerkens.”

Crowded Trade, making his first appearance since running fifth in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 15 at Pimlico, outlasted Flash of Mischief by a half-length for third. Mister Luigi and River Dog completed the order of finish.

Live racing resumes Wednesday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $120,000 Shine Again for older fillies and mares who have not won a stakes other than state-breds this year going seven furlongs on the main track in Race 8. The $150,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Statue of Liberty is slated for Race 5. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.