The three-year-old colt won all of his first four races to catch the eye, but ultimately failed to qualify for the Churchill Downs showpiece on May 1.

Jackie's Warrior had been a regular in the top 10 of the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in the early part of the season, but hasn't raced since late February. This saw the runner pick up just 14 qualifying Derby points in total, seeing them drop out of contention.

Jackie's Warrior's first set of qualifying points came with his victory in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on October 10, 2020. The runner registered a 99 Speed Figure and beat names like Reinvestment Risk and Midnight Bourbon, with the latter having qualified for the Kentucky Derby with 66 points.

The colt romped to victory in the Champagne, covering the one mile on the fast track surface in 1:35.42. He was guided by the great Joel Rosario in the saddle. The win saw him pick up his first 10 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points.

Following his victory in the Champagne, Jackie's Warrior went on to run in the November 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, registering a 96 Speed Figure. Jackie's Warrior finished fourth behind Essential Quality, Hot Rod Charlie and Keepmeinmind, all leaders on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Jackie's Warrior took two more qualifying points with his fourth-place finish, putting his total at 12.

On February 27, Jackie's Warrior finished third behind Essential Quality and Spielberg in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, picking up two further Road to the Kentucky Derby points.

Jackie's Warrior's debut race came at Churchill Downs on June 19, 2020 - a five-furlong dash on the dirt. The runner sat in second as he tracked the pace to the top of the lane. He eventually pulled away and won by two-and-a-half lengths.

Following that debut performance, Jackie's Warrior went on to win the August 7, 2020, Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) at Saratoga. The colt took an impressive three-length win after leading at every call.

His next performance took place at Saratoga as well, where he stretched out to seven furlongs to run in the September 7 Runhappy Hopeful Stakes (G1). In what was his third outing, he was never headed and won by two-and-a-quarter lengths.

The three-year-old colt was bred in Kentucky by J & J Stables. He is the son of Maclean's Music and was purchased by his owners at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, bringing in $95,000.

Stonestreet Stables' Maclean's Music was trained by Steve Asmussen as well. The son of Distorted Humor only competed in one race in his career, a maiden special weight victory at Santa Anita. He demonstrated an impressive 115 Speed Figure in that one outing.

Jackie's Warrior is the first stakes winner produced by the A.P. Five Hundred mare Unicorn Girl. Also coming from the mare are two unnamed horses, a filly by Candy Ride and a colt by American Pharoah.

Blue Stork Stables' Unicorn Girl retired with a career record of 19-7-8 from 54 lifetime starts. The mare brought in a total of $483,508 in purse earnings. Trained by Gina Giglio, the runner never competed at stakes level.

The mare raced for a claiming price down at $7,500. Much of this had to do with her pedigree, as the runner had no graded winners in her first two dams. While Unicorn Girl does have successful horses in her bloodline, nothing significant stands out. As she brought in so much earnings despite not running in a stakes race, she was raced by J & J for several years before being claimed away. She was reclaimed by her previous owner for $16,000 in her final race at Monmouth Park, which took place in July 2013 and was her 54th start.

This horse received a lot of unexpected attention in her career. She went unsold for $110,000 at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. At that point, nobody thought the runner and her offspring would bring in so much.

There's a reason why Jackie's Warrior is one of the leading names on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby. The colt is surrounded by talented connections who know how to maximise his skills. He is trained by a Hall of Famer in Steve Asmussen (pictured), who has a career record of more than 9,000 wins. His earnings sit at more than $352million. Considered one of the great trainers in the sport, Asmussen is a two-time Eclipse Award winner, taking the 2008 and 2009 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer.

Jackie's Warrior's regular rider is Joel Rosario, who is another one of the greatest in the sport. The jockey has more than 3,000 career wins from over 16,500 starts. He has total purse earnings above $235million.

Rosario has participated in almost every major horse racing event and he has many victories in them. He has won races such as the Dubai World Cup and Kentucky Derby. Rosario was aboard Jackie's Warrior in all of the colt's significant performances, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Champagne Stakes, Runhappy Hopeful Stakes and Saratoga Special Stakes.

The runner is owned by Kirk and Judy Robinson, who have a long and successful career. Their career record includes more than 530 wins. Jackie's Warrior is just one of many impressive racehorses owned by the pair. He joins names like Fast Gator, and Grit and Curiosity.