By Claire Novak,
The $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) April 12 at Oaklawn Park has been on Willis Horton's mind for Will Take Charge ever since his blaze-faced chestnut sewed up last year's Eclipse Award as outstanding 3-year-old male.
"It's been on my radar all the time," the Arkansas native said April 9, the day Will Take Charge drew post 2 against six others for Saturday's Oaklawn 'Cap. "It's here in my home state and it's a big race, too, and that's the reason. He's got a lot of fans here."
A strapping son of Unbridled's Song, Will Take Charge is a two-time winner at Oaklawn, where he'll run as the 123-pound hghweight under regular rider Luis Saez. He took the Smarty Jones Stakes and the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) early last season before going on to bigger and better races for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, acing the Travers (gr. I), Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II), and Clark Handicap (gr. I) along with a runner-up finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) by a nose.
In the Breeders' Cup Classic, Will Take Charge ran much better than a familiar foe—Southern Equine Stables' Moreno, who was right there in the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby, missing the former by a front-running nose and fighting gamely to preserve the place in the latter. The Ghostzapper gelding fizzled in the Breeders' Cup, however, fading to 10th after vying for the lead early on. Turns out, he had his reasons.
"Actually, in the race itself, he fractured a splint bone," trainer Eric Guillot said. "He had five months off and spent three out of training. He's been training great now, and here in California there was really nowhere for him to run. I feel like he's a good, quality horse, he tries as hard in a graded stakes race as he would in a '2 other than,' so we might as well go and see how he comes back as a 4-year-old at this point."
While Moreno was just getting back into training, Will Take Charge got his season started with two strong seconds in the Feb. 9 Donn Handicap (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park and the March 8 Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park.
In the 1 1/8-mile Donn, Will Take Charge ran his typical closing style from sixth over a speed-favoring track to miss by 1 1/2 lengths behind a track record 1:46.86 run by upsetter Lea. In the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap he was closer to the pace, but could not run down Game On Dude and had to settle for second by 1 3/4 lengths as the hard-knocking gelding finished the distance in 1:58.17.
"The track at Santa Anita has such a short stretch, and if it had a longer stretch like Oaklawn or Churchill, he probably would have won the race," Horton said. "Down in Miami, we just ran into a buzzsaw down there. Lea set a new track record and all that; we were right there with him, but I'd say we just got a little unlucky."
This year, Horton said, Will Take Charge should be a steady figure for fans to enjoy in the handicap division. His next target, if all goes according to plan, is the June 14 Stephen Foster Handicap (gr. I) at Churchill Downs, where he won the Clark. He should then head up to Saratoga Race Course for the summer handicaps.
"It seems like all your good horses, they'll just run through their 3-year-old year and then, if they're a good horse, they'll go to stud," Horton remarked. "I wanted to put him out there (on the track) this year. As far as consistency goes, I don't think there's a horse in the country as good as he is, because he's going to bring his race every time and he's going to give it his all. He should be a hard campaigner this year."
Last year Moreno appeared on the 3-year-old stakes scene after taking 10 starts to break his maiden, then jumped up with his Dwyer win going 1 1/16 miles at Belmont Park in July. He then ran third behind Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Palace Malice and Will Take Charge in the Jim Dandy (gr. II) at Saratoga.
"He really has the pedigree to be better at 4 than 3, and he had 13 races last year which was a long campaign," Guillot said. "Will Take Charge came back and flattered him the rest of the year. I'm hoping to run a big race and come to the summer with a fresh horse for the big money in New York, then give him a breather and come back for the Breeders' Cup again."
Another of interest in the Oaklawn 'Cap is WinStar Farm's Revolutionary, who won the 2013 Louisiana Derby (gr. I) and ran third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and fifth in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) before going to the sidelines for trainer Todd Pletcher. The War Pass runner returned Jan. 11 with a good allowance victory, but faltered to seventh last time out in the Donn when caught six wide on the far turn.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will ride Revolutionary in place of Javier Castellano, who will be in Lexington to ride the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) card at Keeneland. Revolutionary breaks from the rail and will carry 117 pounds.
Pletcher will also send out E. Paul Robsham Stables' Golden Lad, who galloped to a 6 3/4-length score in the March 15 Razorback Handicap (gr. III) in his stakes debut. The 4-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro has now won four in a row and would figure to be forwardly placed. Hall of Famer Gary Stevens has the mount on Golden Lad, assigned 116.
Completing the field are Zayat Stables' multiple graded stakes winner Prayer for Relief, a 6-year-old son of Jump Start formerly trained by Steve Asmussen and making his first start for trainer Dale Romans off a sixth in the Feb. 22 Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III); B J D Thoroughbreds' 5-year-old Political Force gelding Right to Vote, winner of the Feb. 15 Essex Handicap two starts back and fourth in the Razorback in his most recent outing; and Michael Langford's allowance winner Carve, a 4-year-old First Samurai gelding trained by Brad Cox.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/84297/will-take-charge-moreno-rematch-at-oaklawn#ixzz2yUi1K0Hv
By Jack Shinar
Tapiture, Strong Mandate, and Ride On Curlin butt heads once more at Oaklawn Park in the The $1 million Arkansas Derby (gr. I) April 12, and they'll be joined by another new shooter from the Bob Baffert barn in Bayern.
Nine 3-year-old colts were entered April 9 in the 1 1/8-mile event, with the unbeaten Bayern, trying stakes company for the first time, slotted in post 8 with Gary Stevens to ride. Kaleem Shah's Offlee Wild colt will have grade I winner Strong Mandate to his outside, while Tapiture and Ride On Curlin are together in posts 3 and 4, respectively.
Tapiture is the slight 9-5 morning line favorite over Bayern, at 2-1, with Strong Mandate listed at 9-2. Ride On Curlin is 12-1 on the early line.
Other leading contenders in the final grade I prep race for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) are Commissioner (8-1) and Conquest Titan (10-1), and they are joined by maiden winners Danza (15-1), Knock Em Flat (20-1), and Thundergram (30-1). The Arkansas Derby, the 11th race on Oaklawn's closing day 12-race program Saturday, is set for a 6:07 p.m. CDT post. The race is worth 170 points toward a possible start in the Derby on a 100-40-20-10 basis for the first four finishers.
Baffert, the Hall of Fame conditioner from Southern California with a long history of major wins at Oaklawn, shipped in Hoppertunity to successfully play the spoiler over the locally-based contingent in the Rebel Stakes (gr. II) March 15. He'll try to do the same thing with Bayern in the Arkansas Derby, a race Baffert won two years ago with Bodemeister .
Kentucky-bred Bayern will need to mature in a hurry if he is to land the top-two finish he requires to move on to the May 3 Kentucky Derby. The flashy dark bay colt was two-for-two at Santa Anita Park this season, breaking his maiden in his debut Jan. 4 going seven furlongs by 3 1/4 lengths. He returned Feb. 13 with an eye-catching 15-length allowance triumph, running a mile in 1:35.77.
Bayern was entered in the San Felipe Stakes (gr. II) one month ago but had to be withdrawn with a foot bruise, which Baffert has said was only a minor setback but poorly timed. Baffert skipped the Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) April 5 with his promising runner, opting to give him an additional week of training instead.
Stevens, who has ridden Bayern in his prior starts, makes the trip to Hot Springs in search of his first Arkansas Derby win since 1990 with the Ron McAnally-trained Silver Ending. Stevens also won the race in 1985 with Tank's Prospect, who would go to capture the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) for trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Lukas sends out Strong Mandate, who set a contested pace over a wet/fast track in the Rebel, then got into tight quarters while battling Hoppertunity and Tapiture mid-stretch. He finished fourth, beaten by 2 1/2 lengths. Luis Saez picks up the mount on the well-regarded Tiznow colt, owned by Robert Baker and William Mack. Saez replaces Joel Rosario, who lands on Tapiture.
"Strong Mandate's doing fine. He's ready," said Lukas, who also won the 1984 edition of the race with stakes record holder Althea (1:46 4/5), the only filly to win the race.
"I hope he'll get better racing luck this time and I think he has a little better conditioning now, too. I think he's had a good thirty days so I'm looking for a much better effort from him," Lukas said.
In his first start of the year, Strong Mandate ran second to Tapiture in the Southwest Stakes (gr. III). A 9 3/4-length winner of the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) in the mud last summer at Saratoga Race Course, the strapping bay colt finished his 2-year-old campaign with a good third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I).
But Tapiture has gotten the better of his rival in their two starts this season for trainer Steve Asmussen. Ron and Joan Winchell's Tapit colt won the Southwest in his seasonal debut by 4 1/4 lengths before finishing half a length behind Hoppertunity when second in a bumpy finish to the Rebel as the slight favorite over Strong Mandate.
"He's run two good races here and he seems to like it here. Hopefully, he'll get a little smoother trip this time," said Darren Fleming, Asmussen's Oaklawn-based assistant.
Winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) at Churchill Downs at 2, Tapiture is currently 14th in the points standings employed to determine the 20-horse starting field. He has 42 points, while Strong Mandate is 28th with 11 points and will probably need to finish first or second Saturday.
Ride On Curlin, third in both the Southwest and Rebel, and also third in the Foxwoods Champagne Stakes (gr. I) at 2, is also in need of points to make a Derby appearance. He currently sits 23rd with 15.
Billy Gowan trains the improving son of 2007 Arkansas Derby winner Curlin for Daniel J. Dougherty. Ride On Curlin was beaten by just one length in the Rebel after dueling on the front end throughout and weakening a bit late. Seeking his first stakes victory, he has won two of eight starts but has been worse than third just once.
"I think he's ready to move forward from his third place in the Rebel, and he should," said Gowan, who added that Ride On Curlin was by far the best horse he's trained. Jon Court handles the bay colt for the first time, replacing Kent Desormeaux.
Trainer Todd Pletcher enters WinStar Farm homebred Commissioner as well as outsider Danza for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Pletcher, who took last year's Arkansas Derby with Overanalyze , has won the race a record three times.
Commissioner looks to improve in his third-place finish in the Sunland Derby (gr. III) March 23 when he broke poorly and lost a shoe, finishing seven lengths behind Chitu after also bobbling at the start. The son of A.P. Indy was sixth in the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park prior to that. He'll be ridden by Mike Smith, who delivered Bodemeister 's victory in 2012 and also won the race in 2008 with Gayego.
Danza has had just one start since a third-place effort in the Saratoga Special (gr. II) last August in Upstate New York. In his most recent effort March 1 at Gulfstream, the son of Street Boss was third in a first-level allowance/optional claiming race at seven furlongs. He will be making his first start at two turns.
Trainer Mark Casse also doubles up with Holy Bull Stakes (gr. II) runner-up Conquest Titan for Conquest Stables, and John Oxley's Thundergram, stepping up into stakes company for the first time after breaking his maiden earlier in the Oaklawn meet on a sloppy track.
Conquest Titan disappointed in his return following the Jan. 25 Holy Bull, finishing a well-beaten fourth as the favorite in the Tampa Bay Derby (gr. II) March 8. Thundergram just missed in his first try against winners, losing by a head when second in a first level allowance on a muddy Oaklawn strip March 16. The son of 2000 Arkansas Derby winner Graeme Hall will wear blinkers for the first time.
Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel sends out Knock Em Flat, a 5 3/4-length maiden winner in his fifth lifetime start March 27 over a sloppy Oaklawn track.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/84300/arkansas-derby-invader-bayern-meets-tapiture#ixzz2yUhJP9Tx
