Oaklawn Park report

Lukas eyes Feb. 8 Donn for ‘Charge’

HOT SPRINGS _ Will Take Charge took another step toward his likely 4-yearold debut in the $500,000 Grade I Donn Handicap on Feb. 8 at Gulfstream Park near Miami by breezing 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 on Monday morning at Oaklawn Park, the colt’s first workout since being named a champion.

Co-owned by Willis Horton of Marshall and trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Will Take Charge was named champion 3-year-old male of 2013 during the 43rd annual Eclipse Awards ceremony Saturday night at Gulfstream Park.

The Donn and the $750,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap on March 8 at Santa Anita near Los Angeles are the first two likely starts this year for Will Take Charge, now co-owned by Three Chimneys LLC, the Kentucky-based breeding farm that bought half-interest in the chestnut son of Unbridled’s Song last month and will stand him upon his retirement from racing.

The ultimate objective in 2014, Lukas said, is the Breeders’ Cup Classic this fall at Santa Anita. Will Take Charge was beaten a nose in last year’s $5 million Grade I race at Santa Anita.

“I think we all agree it’s going to be to Grade I races at a mile and an eighth or farther,” Lukas said of Will Take Charge’s 2014 racing schedule. “We’re not going to go for anything less, unless the purse is attractive.”

Will Take Charge worked in company Monday with stablemate Chalybeate Springs, a 5-year-claimer who has won 1 of 22 career starts.

Will Take Charge began to draw away from his workmate in the upper stretch following splits of :11.80 for the opening eighth of a mile, :23.80 for a quartermile and :36.20 for 3 furlongs.

After covering his final quarter in :24.40, Will Take Charge galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14.

Will Take Charge was onthe track almost immediately after it opened at 7 a.m., but the work was delayed about five minutes because of a loose horse. Monday’s work was the fifth for Will Take Charge at Oaklawn since Dec. 18.

Lukas said he foresees Will Take Charge making approximately a halfdozen starts this year, with everything geared toward the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

“We want to go back and turn that inch into a couple of lengths,” Lukas said.

Lukas said the only race under consideration for Will Take Charge this year at Oaklawn is the $500,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap on April 12.

Lukas said he hopes Oaklawn will raise the purse for the Oaklawn Handicap in order to try and again match Will Take Charge against 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Mucho Macho Man and Game On Dude, who finished ninth as the favorite in the race.

“It would be a wonderful thing for Oaklawn,” Lukas said. “I’d love to see that.”Rulings

Jockey Jesus Castanon began serving a three-day riding suspension Monday for an incident shortly after the start of a race last week.

First-time starter Bo’s Shoes was disqualified following a stewards’ inquiry, from third and placed ninth in Friday’s ninth race, a 6-furlong event for Arkansas-bred $16,000 maiden claimers.

Bo’s Shoes, who was ridden by Castanon, veered in just after the start from post 11 - the far outside - to cause “a traffic jam with horses to the inside,” according to the stewards’ ruling released Monday afternoon.

Stewards fined trainers Kenny McPeek and Kenny Smith $100 for failing to report that their horses, Cloud Crossing, and Cy Seven, respectively, were racing as geldings for the first time.

On the track

About a half-hour after Will Take Charge’s workout Monday morning, stablemate Strong Mandate, breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.60 in preparation for his 3-year-old debut in the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb.

17.

Strong Mandate, a Grade I winner for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, worked in company with stablemate Bro Rodrigeaux, a 3-year-old Tale of the Cat colt who is winless in five career starts.

Strong Mandate, who has drifted out in previous works at Oaklawn, was on the inside when the son of Tiznow and Bro Rodrigeaux broke off together at the 5-furlong pole.

The pair matched strides throughout the work, recording fractions of :12.20, :23.40 and :35.40 for 3 furlongs. Both horses were credited with 1:00.60 and gallop-out times of 1:15 for 6 furlongs and 1:30.80 for 7 furlongs. Strong Mandate was on the inside throughout the work.

Back to work

Drogue returned to the track Monday morning for the first time since winning the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan.

11, trainer Mike Johnson of Star City said.

Johnson said he normally gives Drogue, who is owned by Oaklawn President Charles Cella, a week off after his races.

“He was full of himself,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Drogue is scheduled to make his next start in the $100,000 Essex Handicap on Feb. 15.

Final furlong

Lady Diva Ga Ga will run in Saturday’s $100,000American Beauty Stakes for older female sprinters, trainer Phil Sims said. … Shathoor, an unstarted 3-year-old half-brother to champion My Miss Aurelia, worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 on Monday morning for trainer Dan Peitz, a Little Rock native. Shathoor, a son of Distorted Humor, was an $850,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase. … Big Lute, a sparkling debut winner at last year’s Oaklawn meet, recorded a 5-furlong bullet Monday morning

(1:00.20) for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway and trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs. ... Crack Arkansas-bred Jan’s Perfect Star, owned by Dave Clark of Little Rock, is the 4-5 program favorite for her scheduled 2014 debut.

Sports, Pages 18 on 01/21/2014

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