The stakes have become much higher since Will Take Charge left Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs in April.
Will Take Charge has positioned himself for an Eclipse Award as the country’s champion 3-year old male with victories in the $1 million Grade I Travers Stakes on Aug. 24 at Saratoga in upstate New York and last Saturday’s $1 million Grade II Pennsylvania Derby at Parx near Philadelphia.
Owned by Willis Horton of Marshall, Will Take Charge is scheduled to make his next start in the $5 million Grade I Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita near Los Angeles.
Horton said he also has an eye on Will Take Charge’s post-racing career, adding pitches from major Kentucky breeding farms are expected in the next two weeks.
“It’s really an ‘I don’t know’ situation,” Horton said Wednesday afternoon.
“His next race is the Breeders’ Cup, and I think I’ve got a good chance to win it. If he wins that, I can’t afford to race him.”
Will Take Charge would be an attractive stallion prospect, even without his strong racing resume, which also includes victories in the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes and $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn.
Will Take Charge is a son of the recently deceased Unbridled’s Song out of Take Charge Lady, who ran second in the $500,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap in 2003 at Oaklawn and earned $2.4 million.
Horton purchased Will Take Charge for $425,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
A filly out of Take Charge Lady, by the deceased Indian Charlie, sold for $2.2 million at this year’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Horton said he liked the filly, but the bidding quickly escalated out of his price range. Horton did purchase three horses at the sale, including a $700,000 son of Medaglia d’Oro.
“He’s an eye-catcher,” Horton said.
Horton also bought a Giant’s Causeway filly for $435,000. The filly’s dam, Charming, is out of Take Charge Lady.
Looking ahead
If all goes well, Dunkin Bend will make his 3-yearold debut in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan.
20 at Oaklawn, owner Mike Langford of Jonesboro said.
A winner of 2 of 3 career starts, Dunkin Bend was pointing for next Saturday’s $500,000 Grade I Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park in New York before suffering a severe lung infection earlier this month, Langford said.
Langford said Dunkin Bend returned to the track Wednesday at Belmont after missing roughly two weeks of training. But Langford said he and trainer Steve Asmussen decided it would best to not race Dunkin Bend again this year.
“It will give him plenty of time to recuperate,” Langford said. “I’m not crazy about running 2-year-olds. He’s proven he can run a little bit.”
In his last start, Dunkin Bend, a son of Dunkirk, won the $100,000 Grade III Sapling Stakes on Sept. 1 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
The 1-mile Smarty Jones would be Dunkin Bend’s first start around two turns.
Final furlong
Carve, owned by Mike Langford of Jonesboro, is entered in today’s $400,000 Grade III Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park in Oklahoma City. Ricardo Santana Jr., Oaklawn’s leading rider this year, has the mount. … Oaklawn maiden graduate Marathon Lady, owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway and trained by Steve Hobby of Hot Springs, is entered in today’s $200,000 Remington Park Oaks. … Unbeaten 2-year-old Smack Smack, trained by Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs, is entered in today’s $75,000 Kip Deville Stakes at Remington. … Gentlemen’s Bet, owned by Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock and trained by Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, is scheduled to have his final prep for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in Friday’s $200,000 Grade III Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
Sports, Pages 38 on 09/29/2013