Jack Christopher (foaled 30 January 2019) is a multiple

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

-winning American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse who won the

Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old and the Woody Stephens Stakes and H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes in 2022.

Background

Jack Christopher is a

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. The unrelat ...

stallion that was bred in Kentucky by Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate. His sire is Munnings who ran second in the 2008 renewal of Champagne Stakes and stands at

Ashford Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is headquarters of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champions. The operat ...

and his dam is Rushin No Blushin who was sired by Half Ours. Rushin No Blushin is a half sister to multiple

winner and sire

Street Boss Street Boss (foaled 31 March 2004) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse that won the 2008 Triple Bend Handicap and Bing Crosby Handicap. He stands as a shuttle stallion for Darley Stud, the global breeding operation of Godolphin. Background ...

. Jack Christopher was bought for $135,000 from Paramount Sales' consignment to the 2020

Fasig-Tipton The Fasig-Tipton Company, Inc. is an American auction house for Thoroughbred and Standardbred horses. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest auction company of its kind in North America. The company has offices in Lexington, Kentucky, Elkton, Maryla ...

Kentucky October Yearlings Sale.

Racing career

2021: Two-year-old season

Jack Christopher began his racing career on 28 August in a

Maiden Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...

Special Weight event over 6 furlongs at

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

. Starting as the 11/10 favorite in a field of 7, he began sharply and forged three wide on the turn entering the straight, where he kicked clear, winning by

lengths Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Intern ...

. Trainer Chad Brown then entered the colt in the

Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park. Nearly five weeks later, Jack Christopher was made the heavy favorite over Gunite and Wit. The latter had won the Grade III

Sanford Stakes The Sanford Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of July at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. A six furlong sprint race, the Grade III event is open to two-year-old horses. Inaug ...

and was the only other stakes winner in the field. Gunite shook free in the early going to take the lead, but Jack Christopher moved quickly into a stalking position. He pulled away and never faced a serious challenge, winning by

in a time of 1:36.72. Jack Christopher earned points for the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

as well as automatic entry for the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup ...

held at

Del Mar Del Mar is Spanish for "of the sea" or "from the sea". It may refer to: Places in the United States * Del Mar, California * Del Mar High School, located in San Jose, California * Del Mar racetrack, located in Del Mar, California * Del Mar Fai ...

. However, Jack Christopher was scratched the day before the

on the advice of Breeders' Cup veterinarians. Due to a couple of areas lighting up on a bone scan, mainly the left shin, he had a screw inserted in that shin by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Larry Bramlage and was sidelined for two months.

2022: Three-year-old season

Jack Christopher resumed training after his operation on 27 February in Florida, which was deemed too late for preparations for the

. After gradual training of ten spaced works, connections entered Jack Christopher in the

Pat Day Mile Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. Histo ...

over a distance of one mile on the

undercard. Jack Christopher was made the 7/10 favorite in a field of eleven three-year-olds. After pressing the pace of early leader Pappacap, he pulled away to score by lengths in a time of 1:34.81. Trainer Chad Brown commented, "It's a little bittersweet that we did get him to the first Saturday in May, which we had been thinking about since he debuted up at Saratoga, that unbelievable performance. To get him to the first Saturday in May and have him roar down the stretch and get to the winner's circle but not be in the race that's a few races later, will always be in the back of my mind if he could have done it." On 11 June,

Belmont Stakes The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds run at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is run over 1.5 miles (2,400 m). Colts and geldings carry a weight of ; fillies carry . The race, nicknamed Th ...

Day, Jack Christopher was entered in the Grade I Woody Stephens Stakes, a sprinting event for three-year-olds. Once again he dominated the field, winning his fourth straight event and second Grade I with a ten-length victory. Jack Christopher pressed leader Provocateur through a half-mile in :45.38 before being pushed for more in early stretch. He then drew off under a hand-ride in the last 100 yards, completing the seven furlongs in 1:21.18. Trainer Chad Brown commented after the event, "I felt really good when Jose (Ortiz Jr.) slipped to the outside of the speed horse. The only thing I was worried about was Provocateur potentially really hounding us the whole race; potentially softening us up from a tricky post. Once Jose got him out in the clear, I didn't see any possible way this horse could lose." After the win, connections indicated that Jack Christopher would attempt to run at a longer distance and challenge the premier three-year-olds. He was then entered in the Grade I

Haskell Stakes The Haskell Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in July at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event is a signature event at Monmouth P ...

Monmouth Park Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...

in his first attempt in an event with two turns and at a distance of miles. Jack Christopher was installed as the 7/10 favorite in a field that included GI

Arkansas Derby The Arkansas Derby is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in April at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is currently a Grade I race run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) on dirt. In 2004, t ...

winner Cyberknife and

Bob Baffert Robert A. Baffert (born January 13, 1953) is an American racehorse trainer who trained the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify. Baffert's horses have won a record six Kentucky Derbies, seven Preakne ...

-trained Grade I

Santa Anita Derby The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is currently run at a distance of miles on the dirt and carries a purse of $400,000. It is on ...

winner Taiba. Jack Christopher began well, rated off of longshot Benevengo entering the clubhouse turn. He stalked close up two wide, then pressed the pace, bid two wide entering the far turn, dueled on the turn, put a head in front at the quarter pole, and was overtaken by Cyberknife and Taiba to finish third, beaten by two lengths. Winner Cyberknife set a track-record of 1:46.24 for the miles distance. Chad Brown was positive after the race, saying, "I felt very, very good turning for home. I thought it was a beautiful trip, but at the end of the day, I thought he (pushed) fair fractions. It's pretty simple we have to cut him back. Hats off to the winner. He looked the part of a real threat the entire race." On August 27, Jack Christopher returned to a sprinting event, the seven-furlong Grade I H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at Saratoga. Starting as the overwhelming favorite at 11/20, he bounced in front but then conceded the lead to Conagher. With three furlongs to run, Ortiz guided Jack Christopher guided to the front and held Gunite off for a lengths victory in a time of 1:21.15. Brown said, "I'm just so proud of the horse. He's been a very consistent horse. He's never disappointed us in a workout or a race." He was noncommittal regarding what might be next for his trainee, but the Grade I

Breeders' Cup Sprint The Breeders' Cup Sprint is an American Weight for Age Grade I Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older. Run on dirt Corrected grade for Santa Anita sprintover a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually si ...

and Grade I

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is a Weight for Age stakes race for thoroughbred racehorses three years old and up. As its name implies, it is part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships, the ''de facto'' year-end championship for North American t ...

appeared to be options that fall at

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

Statistics

''Notes:''
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Jack Christopher was the post-time favourite.

Pedigree

Jack Christopher is inbred 4s × 4d to

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

References

{{reflist, 2 2019 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 1-e American Grade 1 Stakes winners