Pioneer’ filly dominates in G2 Summertime Oaks

Jojo Warrior broke into the ranks of stakes winners in a big way Saturday at Santa Anita Park, rolling to a 5 1/4-length victory in the $200,750 Summertime Oaks (G2). The 3-year-old filly is the fourth stakes winner this year for her sire Pioneer of the Nile, who sits atop the 2014 Second Crop Sire list with nearly $1.9 million in progeny earnings.

Trainer by Bob Baffert for her owner/breeder Zayat Stables, Jojo Warrior drew the rail and added blinkers for Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile contest. With Martin Garcia aboard, she hustled from the gate to secure the lead going in to the first turn. Up by a length and a half after a solid :46.61 seconds, Garcia had a measured hold of his filly until the top of the lane, when she kicked away from the field to win with authority.

The final time was 1:43.09 on a fast track.

“She’s been running against good horses and she wants to run all day,” said Garcia. “I knew that I had the rail but she broke well and I put her on the lead and she was comfortable with that. I took advantage of it. She’s really sharp and when I asked her to go, she responded.”

The victory, worth $120,000, increased Jojo Warrior’s career earnings to $200,781, with two wins in five starts. Prior to Saturday’s win, she placed in both the $100,000 Instant Racing S. at Oaklawn Park and the $100,000 Miss Preakness S. in May.

The winner is out of the top-class mare Carson Jen, who has produced the likes of Frizette S. (G1) winner A Z Warrior, Hollywood Juvenile (G3) champ E Z Warrior, and the multiple stakes winner J Z Warrior.