Jackie’s Warrior a winner again in the Oaklawn slop

HOT SPRINGS -- It took a bit of late work, but the winner showed what champions are about.

Jackie's Warrior, owned by J. Kirk and Judy Robison and ridden by Joel Rosario from the Oaklawn barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, responded to challenges in the final yards to win the Grade III $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap for horses 4 years old and up in 1:09.09 over 6 furlongs on a sloppy track before an estimated crowd of 18,500 at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort on Saturday.

Asmussen also trained Mitole to a win over a sloppy track in the 2019 Count Fleet.

"I was thinking to Mitole's day when he won the Count Fleet, and what a monsoon that was, and he came out of it great," Asmussen said. "Hoping and expecting the same with this horse."

Rosario has ridden 12 of 13 career starts for Jackie's Warrior. The Count Fleet was the third on a sloppy track, including a win in the Grade II Amsterdam Stakes over 7 furlongs at Saratoga last August.

"I mean, he's run on slop before," Rosario said. "He's won on slop at Saratoga. He can run on anything."

Off as the 2-5 favorite, Jackie's Warrior won by three-quarters of a length over second-place Letsgetlucky ridden by Martin Garcia for trainer Brian Koriner. Penny Lauer's Chipofftheoldblock was another three-quarter lengths back in third under the ride of Jon Court.

Chipofftheoldblock was the longest shot in the field of six at 36-1. Bob's Edge, the 8-5 second choice ridden by Luis Quinonez and trained by Larry Jones, finished fourth, 31/4 lengths behind the winner.

Jackie's Warrior, a 4-year-old son of Maclean's Music, was the 2021 Eclipse champion male sprinter for his campaign as a 3-year-old.

An eight-time graded-stakes winner, Jackie's Warrior made the Count Fleet his sixth on the lead from gate to wire. He led Empire of Gold -- who would finish fifth -- by a head through an opening quarter-mile of 21.61.

"That's a very fast horse, as you know," Rosario said. "He just came out of there and did not want to wait for everybody. He just goes and enjoys what he's doing up there. He was able to just keep going."

Jackie's Warrior led by 11/2 lengths at the half in 44.51, with Empire of Gold second. Letsgetlucky was third, five lengths off the lead and a length in front of Chipofftheoldblock in fourth.

As Jackie's Warrior straightened off the final turn, with a bit more than 3/16 of a mile to race, Chipofftheoldblock and Letsgetlucky appeared packed with momentum.

Court had Chipofftheoldblock in third with an eighth of a mile to go, behind the winner and Empire of Gold. Garcia had Letsgetlucky a head back in fourth.

"We were third-best today," Court said. "We actually rallied up to the second-place position, but Martin told me on the gallop out his horse was kind of not responding until he saw me, then he really engaged. I got by him, but then he came back and nailed me for second. That's all horse racing. Glad to be a part of it."

Garcia said it was too bad Chipofftheoldblock had not passed him sooner.

"When he passed me, my horse just took off, and that's when I almost caught the great horse," Garcia said.

Rosario said he was aware of the two closers.

"I could feel them coming, but Jackie's Warrior was fine," Rosario said. "He never gives up. That horse has a big heart."

Much of Saturday afternoon was presented by Oaklawn as Hall of Fame Day, during which the track recognized 14 members of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, including Asmussen, who on Friday became the second person to have trained 800 or more winners at Oaklawn.

Asmussen's training-win count at Oaklawn stands at 803. He trails only the late Bob Holthus, who trained 867 Oaklawn winners.

"On our way, you know," Asmussen said after the final of nine races Friday. "We feel like we're in the middle of it, and it's a great milestone, but we've got a lot of winning left to do at Oaklawn."

Asmussen has topped the all-time North American winners list since August 2021. His career total stood at 9,713 after Saturday's races, including the Count Fleet.

"It's huge," Asmussen said. "It's huge to have a champion back in training. Hats off to Kirk and Judy to want to see a horse like this race."

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