Breeders' Cup Sprint Picks: Jackie's Warrior wins?

The 2020 Breeders' Cup was not a good event for the Steve Asmussen trained Jackie's Warrior but this Maclean's Music colt has every opportunity to come back to the event and get a big victory here in the Sprint...

Neil's Take...

I’m sitting here at my desk and trying to work out if I have the guts to oppose Jackie’s Warrior (#2) and whilst he is a must-play on multi-race tickets, I’m actually going to put another horse at a big price as my top choice.

That is the wonderful Firenze Fire (#6) who will be making his last appearance on the track this Saturday as he’s set to travel to Japan to begin his stud career after this weekend. This son of Poseidon’s Warrior has won in every age group from two through six and has two wins on his resume this year. He’s rarely not competitive and we need a sentimental favorite to have one last big run. It would be great.

This isn’t to say that Jackie’s Warrior isn’t the rightful favorite. He should win this race. This three-year-old has been outstanding since concentrating on one-turn races rather than looking to stretch out to the Triple Crown distances. Yet 6-5 is short when you consider some top-class sprinters are in the field, even if some of them aren’t in scintillating form. C Z Rocket (#3) is a great example of that and Dr. Schivel (#8) has imperious west coast form and is three-for-three at Del Mar. This is why I’m willing to oppose the favorite here. I see too many dangerous horses who could cause an upset.

Main: 2, 6

Backup: 3, 8

Order of Preference: 6-2-8-3

J.N's Take...

Just like in the last race, we head into the Dirt Sprint with what I consider to be a dominant force in the division. There is no question that Jackie’s Warrior #2 is a deserving favorite, and probably will win, if he brings his best. This is the Breeders’ Cup, so it stands to reason that he will need it, considering the runners that he will face going around 1-turn. Steve Asmussen has managed this talented son of Maclean’s Music very effectively. His lone loss since May was the Woody Stephens (G1) when Drain the Clock bested him in the end. Since then, the colt has done nothing wrong. Joel Rosario has guided him every step of the way, and if he can get loose from Following Sea #1 and Special Reserve #8, then the purple banner will be his. A poor start and not being able to run his race, might be the only roadblocks against him winning. This is a clear “Single,” in my estimation.

Top Selection: 2

Backup: None