Jackie's Warrior (foaled February 13, 2018) is a Champion American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse who has won five

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

events including the

Hopeful Stakes The Hopeful Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old horses, the Hopeful is the first Grade I stakes for two-year-olds each season and historically has ...

at Saratoga, the Champagne Stakes at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a thoroughbred racing, thoroughbred horse racetrack in Elmont, New York, just east of New York City limits best known for hosting the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United Stat ...

in 2020 and the

H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes The H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes is a Grade I American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt held in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The current purse for th ...

at Saratoga (2021). Jackie's Warrior was awarded as

Eclipse Award The Eclipse Award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th-century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. An Eclipse Award Trophy is presented to the winner in each division. The trophy is made by a few small selected A ...

American Champion Sprint Horse The American Champion Sprint Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a ...

in 2021. In 2022 won the

Churchill Downs Stakes The Churchill Downs Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for four-year-old and older sprinters run over a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt annually in early May at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, as a ...

and Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga.

Background

Jackie's Warrior is a

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

stallion that was bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables. His sire is Maclean's Music and his dam is Unicorn Girl, a daughter from A. P. Five Hundred, who was a winner of 19 races and an earner of $483,508. Jackie's Warrior was her third foal and first stakes winner. He was bought for $95,000 by J. Kirk Robison out of Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Jackie's Warrior was named by her breeders, Jennie and John Williams of J and J Stables in Florida, to honor Jennie's sister, Jackie Ross, a brain cancer survivor in remission. Jackie's Warrior is trained by Steven M. Asmussen and his jockey is

Joel Rosario Joel Rosario (born January 14, 1985) is a Dominican jockey who mainly competes in American thoroughbred horse racing, originally from the Dominican Republic. In the space of five weeks in 2013 he rode the winners of the Dubai World Cup and the Ke ...

Racing career

2020: Two-year-old season

Jackie's Warrior began his career on 19 June at

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

in a maiden event for two-year-olds over a distance of five furlongs facing six other non-winners, of which only one had raced before. The more experienced Petit Verdot bounced out in front and from the 2 post Jackie's Warrior tracked the leader, then switch to the outside on the turn and in the straight a furlong from home cleared away to win by lengths in a time of 57.49 seconds. Trainer

Steve Asmussen Steven Mark Asmussen (born November 18, 1965) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. The leading trainer in North America by wins, he is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer and was inducted into the National Mu ...

then pointed Jackie's Warrior towards the two-year-old stakes races at Saratoga. In his next start on 7 August, Jackie's Warrior led throughout, winning the

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Saratoga Special Stakes The Saratoga Special Stakes is an American grade II thoroughbred horse race run annually in mid-August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. The race is for two-year-olds willing to race six furlongs on the dirt. With its first ru ...

by three lengths. Jockey

commented after the race, "When they came to him, he wanted to go, and I felt even more confident at that point. I knew he had something left." After his second race J. Kirk Robison added his wife as part owner of Jackie's Warrior. Four weeks later, Jackie's Warrior faced seven rivals in the

. Again he went to the lead and opened up a five-length lead over even-money favorite Reinvestment Risk in the straight before finishing over 2 lengths in front at the wire. Jackie's Warrior as the 9/5 second choice finished in a time of 1:21.29, which was a stakes record. Jackie's Warrior's next start was on 10 October in the Champagne Stakes at

, where he faced five other entrants. Starting as the 17/20 odds-on favorite, he led Reinvestment Risk throughout and extended his lead in the straight to win his fourth straight race by lengths in a time of 1:35.42. Regular jockey Rosario said, “I was very confident that he could get the mile. He just enjoyed what he was doing." Jackie's Warrior earned 10 points in qualification in the

Road to the Kentucky Derby The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have chang ...

and emerged as the favorite 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 W ...

. The

, held 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 ...

attracted a full field of 14, and Jackie's Warrior started as the 9/10 odds-on favorite. From barrier 2, jockey Joel Rosario was not able to get to the lead from the start but had to settle and trail longshot Dreamer's Disease. Jackie's Warrior forged a path to the outside of Dreamer's Disease leaving the backstretch and hit the front to lead a by half-length. However, second favorite from midfield

Essential Quality Essential Quality (foaled April 9, 2018) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2021 Belmont Stakes, the 2021 Travers Stakes, and the 2020 Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He was named the 2020 Champion Two-Year-Old and the 2021 Cham ...

also moved four-wide towards the lead outside of Jackie's Warrior, passing the other leaders and winning. Jackie's Warrior finished fourth, beaten lengths. Jackie's Warrior finished a distant second to

in the

for US Champion Two-Year-Olds.

2021: Three-year-old season

After a break of over three months, Jackie's Warrior resumed his career with the plan to qualify for the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

as an entrant in the Grade III

Southwest Stakes The Southwest Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles on the dirt run annually in late January at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The event c ...

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track, is an American thoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to "The Racing Festival of the South", a four-day series of races that concludes with the ...

over miles. Leading early, he tired in the straight, finishing a distant third to

and Spielberg. Soon after, connections informed that Jackie's Warrior would be off the Kentucky Derby trail. On Kentucky Derby Day, he started as the 23/10 favorite in an undercard event, the

Pat Day Mile Stakes for three-year-olds over a mile. After leading, Jackie's Warrior held on strongly to hold off Dream Shake to win by a neck. Jockey Rosario commented after the race, "He likes when a horse comes up to him, and he really digs in. I was not worried about the fast early pace because he fights very hard down the stretch." Jackie's Warrior's third start of the year was at

in the

Woody Stephens Stakes The Woody Stephens Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run over a distance of seven furlongs on dirt held annually in early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. History Inaugurated in ...

over seven furlongs where he faced five other three-year-olds. Again starting well and leading with fast fractions of 22.09 and 44.19, he seemed to have the race in hand but was beaten by Drain The Clock by a neck. According to his jockey, he stumbled out of the starting gate, which may have cost him the race. After a two-month break, Jackie's Warrior returned to Saratoga, where he had success the previous season. Starting as the 1/2 odds-on favorite in the

Amsterdam Stakes he defeated Drain the Clock by lengths on a sloppy track. Four weeks later in the

, Jackie's Warrior met Life Is Good. Jackie's Warrior came from off the lead to win by a neck in a fast time of 1:21.39. Life Is Good was making his first start after a 171-day layoff that included an operation. On 25 September, Jackie's Warrior started in the

Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem. He was the 1/20 favorite and won by nearly seven length in a time of 1:08.64 for the six-furlong distance. Jackie's Warrior’s last start of the year was in the

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 over a distance of 6 Furlongs ( mile), the race has been held annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in t ...

at Del Mar on 6 November. Installed as the 1/2 favorite, he was quick out of the gate and clocked fractions of 21.91 and 44.11 while being pressed by Special Reserve and Matera Sky. In the straight, Jackie's Warrior tired to finish sixth in the field of nine. The

NTRA The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) is a broad-based coalition of American horse racing interests consisting of leading thoroughbred racetracks, owners, breeders, trainers and affiliated horse racing associations, charged with incr ...

awarded him an

for 2021.

2022: Four-year-old season

Jackie's Warrior began his four-year-old campaign on 16 April in the Grade III

Count Fleet Sprint Handicap The Count Fleet Sprint Handicap is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid April. It takes place at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. During the race, horses age four and older compete over the sprint di ...

. On a sloppy sealed track Jackie's Warrior defeated five other foes in a time of 1:09.09. On 7 May Jackie's Warrior ran in the

Day. Starting brilliantly as the even-money favorite he led all the way in the seven horse field extending in the straight to a comfortable four-length victory in a time of 1:21.95. On 10 June Jackie's Warrior faced five other entrants in the

True North Stakes at

. Starting as the overwhelming 1/4 odds on favorite Jackie's Warrior was bumped in the hindquarters at the start but was able to move forward and get to the lead and easily dispatched his foes winning by five lengths in a time of 1:15.09 with jockey Joel Rosario never asking him for his best and easing him up in the final 70 yards of the race. In the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga on July 30, Jackie's Warrior was assigned 127 pounds. Facing five other entrants Jackie's Warrior started as the overwhelming 1/4 odds-on favorite by the crowd of 37,476, made his opponents feeble as jockey Joel Rosario never moved a muscle cruised to the easiest of two-length wins in a time of 1:09.74. The margin could have been more had Rosario asked him for more. Jackie's Warrior attempted his sixth career win at Saratoga in the Grade I

Forego Stakes The Forego Stakes is a Graded stakes race, Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses four years old and older over the distance of seven furlongs on the dirt, scheduled annually in August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New Y ...

on August 27. Starting as the 3/20 odds-on favorite was upset by the 8/1 second favorite Cody's Wish by lengths in a time of 1:20.95. Trainer Steven Asmussen said, "There's a little sadness that it's his last time to run at Saratoga because he's brought us so much fun and joy here. He'll be sharp for the (Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint), which will be his next and last race." On November 5, Jackie's Warrior ran his final career race in the

. Starting as the 0.77 favorite Jackie's Warrior finished third to Elite Power.

Statistics

''Notes:''
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Jackie's Warrior was the post-time favourite.

Stud career

On retirement will begin his stud career at

Spendthrift Farm Spendthrift Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm and burial site in Lexington, Kentucky, currently owned by Eric & Tammy Gustavson. It was founded by Leslie Combs II and named for the great stallion Spendthrift, who was owned by Combs ...

in 2023. It was announced that Jackie's Warrior would stand his first season for a fee of $50,000.

Pedigree

Jackie's Warrior is

inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders an ...

4S x 4D to the stallion Danzig, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth on the dam side of his pedigree.

References

{{reflist, 2 2018 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 4-n American Grade 1 Stakes winners