Take Charge Indy (foaled 27 March 2009) is an American
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse. His win in the 2012
Florida Derby
The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Sat ...
saw him regarded as a contender for the
Triple Crown
Triple Crown may refer to:
Sports Horse racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States)
** Triple Crown Trophy
** Triple Crown Productions
* Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
* Tri ...
races, but an injury sustained in the
Kentucky Derby ruled him out for most of the remainder of the season. As a four-year-old in 2013 he won the
Alysheba Stakes
The Alysheba Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt held annually in early May on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky duri ...
but later that summer suffered a
condylar
A condyle (;Entry "condyle"
in
Monmouth Cup
The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,00 ...
, which required surgery, but ended his racing career and his owners,
WinStar Farm
WinStar Farm is an American Thoroughbred horse breeding and racing farm near Versailles, Kentucky, owned by Kenny Troutt. It won the 2010 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Owner and 2016 Outstanding Breeder. WinStar Farm owned 2018 Triple Crown ...
, retired him to stud.
Background
Take Charge Indy is a dark bay or brown horse with a white
star bred by Eaton Sales of
Lexington, Kentucky. His sire
A.P. Indy won the
Belmont Stakes and the
Breeders' Cup Classic
The Breeders' Cup Classic is a Grade I Weight for Age thoroughbred horse race for 3-year-olds and older run at a distance of on dirt. It is held annually at a different racetrack as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships in late October ...
in 1992 before going on to become a successful breeding stallion: his other progeny include
Bernardini Bernadini can mean:
* Bernardini (horse), thoroughbred race horse, at Darley Stable in Kentucky
* Bernardini (company), safe manufacturer which operated from 1912 to 1992
* Bernardini (surname), family name of Italian origin
See also
* Bern ...
,
Friesan Fire
Friesan Fire (foaled April 30, 2006, in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was sired by 1992 American Horse of the Year, A.P. Indy, a son of the 1977 U.S. Triple Crown winner, Seattle Slew. His dam, Bollinger, is an Australian ...
,
Mineshaft,
Pulpit and
Rags to Riches
Rags to riches refers to any situation in which a person rises from poverty to wealth, and in some cases from absolute obscurity to heights of fame, fortune and celebrity—sometimes instantly. This is a common archetype in literature and popul ...
. Take Charge Indy's dam, Take Charge Lady, was a top-class racemare
whose wins included the
Ashland Stakes and successive runnings of the
Spinster Stakes
The Spinster Stakes (also known as the "Juddmonte Spinster" with Juddmonte Farms sponsorship) is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three or up run annually in early October at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentu ...
. She is also the dam of the
Travers Stakes
The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds acco ...
winner
Will Take Charge
Will Take Charge (foaled April 13, 2010) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the horse is best known for his wins in the 2013 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap and for being beaten by a nose in the 2013 Breed ...
.
As a
yearling
Yearling may refer to:
*Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old
*''The Yearling
''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the Mo ...
, Take Charge Indy was consigned to the
Keeneland Sales in September, but failed to find a buyer willing to pay the $80,000 reserve price. The colt was sent into training with the British-born
Patrick Byrne, whose other successful horses have included
Awesome Again
Awesome Again (March 29, 1994December 15, 2020) was a Canadian Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse and stallion. As a three-year-old, he won the Queen's Plate in Canada and the Jim Dandy Stakes in the United States. He was undefeated at age four ...
and
Favorite Trick
Favorite Trick (April 20, 1995 – June 6, 2006) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1997 became the first 2-year-old in twenty-five years to be voted United States Horse of the Year.
Bred at Wintergreen Farm in Midway, Kentucky by M ...
. Take Charge Indy usually races in a set of black
blinkers.
Racing career
2011: two-year-old season
Throughout his two-year-old season, which began on July 30, 2011, Take Charge Indy was ridden by James Graham. On his debut, the colt recorded a six and a half
length win a
maiden race on the
Polytrack The track surface of a horse racing track refers to the material of which the track is made. There are three types of track surfaces used in modern horse racing. These are:
*Turf, the most common track surface in Europe
*Dirt, the most common trac ...
surface at
Arlington Park
Arlington International Racecourse (formerly Arlington Park, the name was Arlington Park Jockey Club from as soon as 1948 up to 1955) was a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago reg ...
. At the same track on September 10, he was moved up in class to contest the
Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity and was made the
12/5 favorite against twelve opponents. He took the lead in the straight but was overtaken 75 yards from the finish and beaten a length by Shared Property. In October, Take Charge Indy competed at Grade I level for the first time in the
Dixiana Breeders' Futurity at
Keeneland
Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...
and finished fourth of the thirteen runners behind
Dullahan
The Dullahan (Irish: Dubhlachan ; dúlachán, ), also called Gan Ceann (meaning "without a head" in Irish), is a type of mythological creature in Irish folklore. He is depicted as a headless rider, on a black horse, who carries his own head ...
. On his final appearance of the year, Take Charge Indy started a 33/1 outsider in the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile
The Breeders' Cup Juvenile is a Thoroughbred horse race for 2-year-old colts and geldings raced on dirt. It is held annually in late October or early November at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup W ...
at
Churchill Downs on November 5. He finished fifth of the thirteen runners behind
Hansen,
Union Rags
Union Rags (foaled March 3, 2009 in Kentucky) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2012 Belmont Stakes. He also won the Champagne Stakes and the Saratoga Special Stakes
Background
Union Rags is a bay with a white blaze si ...
, Creative Cause and Dullahan.
2012: three-year-old season
In 2012,
Calvin Borel took over from Graham as Take Charge Indy's regular jockey. The colt began his season at
Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...
in January, when he finished second to El Padrino in an
allowance race
Glossary of North American horse racing:
Additional glossaries at:
*Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting
*Glossary of equestrian terms
This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical terminology and jargo ...
over one and one sixteenth of a mile. The colt did not race again for months, with Byrne controversially withdrawing his charge from the
Tampa Bay Derby
The Tampa Bay Derby is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three years old horses over the distance of miles on the dirt scheduled annually in March at Tampa Bay Downs racetrack in Oldsmar, Florida. The event currently carries a purse ...
after receiving an unfavorable outside draw. Take Charge Indy reappeared in the Grade I Florida Derby at Gulfstream and started at odds of 7.7/1 for a race in which his rivals included Union Rags (the 2/5 favorite) and El Padrino. Borel sent the colt into the lead after 150 yards and led the field until being headed by Reveron with a quarter mile to run. Take Charge Indy quickly regained the lead, broke two lengths clear, and held on to win by a length from Reveron, with Union Rags in third. After the race Borel expressed his confidence in the winner, saying: "This horse, he has the potential, he has the breeding behind him. Pat's been to the big dance, so he wasn’t coming to play, I’ll tell you that."
On May 5, 2012, Take Charge Indy was one of twenty colts to contest the
138th Kentucky Derby over a mile and a quarter at Churchill Downs. Starting from stall 3 he was made the 11.9/1 fourth choice in the betting behind
Bodemeister
Bodemeister (foaled April 28, 2009) is a Thoroughbred race horse who won the 2012 Arkansas Derby and finished second to I'll Have Another in the 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2012 Preakness Stakess. He went on to become the sire of 2017 Kent ...
, Union Rags and
Gemologist
Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identif ...
. He raced just behind the leaders but began to weaken before the stretch and finished tailed off last of the nineteen finishers, more than fifty lengths behind the winner
I'll Have Another
I'll Have Another (foaled April 1, 2009) is a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who won the 2012 Kentucky Derby and 2012 Preakness Stakes, Preakness Stakes.
He was bred in Kentucky, owned by Canadian businessman J. Paul Re ...
. Borel at first believed that the colt had
bled
Bled (; german: Veldes,''Leksikon občin kraljestev in dežel zastopanih v državnem zboru,'' vol. 6: ''Kranjsko''. 1906. Vienna: C. Kr. Dvorna in Državna Tiskarna, p. 146. in older sources also ''Feldes'') is a town on Lake Bled in the Upper C ...
during the race, but subsequent veterinary examination revealed that he had chipped a bone in his left front ankle. He underwent surgery at Woodford Equine Hospital in
Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles () is a home rule-class city in Woodford County, Kentucky, United States. It lies by road west of Lexington and is part of the Lexington-Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. Versailles has a population of 9,316 according to 2017 cen ...
and was forced to miss most of the season's remaining major races.
During his break from racing a half-share in Take Charge Indy was bought by the Versailles-base Winstar Farm.
After five and a half months off the track, Take Charge Indy returned to action on October 27 in the Grade II
Fayette Stakes
The Fayette Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for horses age three and older over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt held annually in October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky during the fall meeti ...
over a mile and one eighth at Keeneland, where he was matched against older horses for the first time. He finished third of the ten runners behind the four-year-old colt Newsdad and the five-year-old
gelding Nikki's Sandcastle. On his final start of the year, Take Charge Indy started at odds of 5.8/1 for the
Clark Handicap
The Clark Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in late November at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Among the oldest races in the United States, it was first run in 1875, the year the racetrack opened for business. C ...
at Churchill Downs on November 23. Under a weight of 117
pounds he finished second, beaten a length by the 2011
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
winner
Shackleford
Shackleford is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Guildford, Surrey, England centred to the west of the A3 between Guildford and Petersfield southwest of London and southwest of Guildford. Shackleford includes the localities of ...
(119).
2013: four-year-old season
Take Charge Indy began his third season in the Grade I
Donn Handicap
The Donn Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually from 1959 through 2016 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A race for horses age four and older, it was contested on turf from inception through 1964 at a distan ...
at Gulfstream on February 9, 2013 when he finished third, beaten eight lengths by the Graydar, who led from the start. In March, at the same track, he finished second to Cigar Street in the Grade III
Skip Away Stakes
The Skip Away Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. A Listed event open to horses age four and older, it is contested on dirt over a distance of miles (9 furlongs). The race is ...
over ten and a half furlongs.
Take Charge Indy had gone over a year since his last win when he contested the Grade II Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 3. Ridden by
Rosie Napravnik
Anna Rose "Rosie" Napravnik (born February 9, 1988) is a former American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey and two-time winner of the Kentucky Oaks. Beginning her career in 2005, she was regularly ranked among the top jockeys in North America in ...
he carried 120 pounds and started at odds of 14/5 against eight opponents. He won easily by six lengths in a time of 1:41.41 from the subsequently disqualified favorite Cyber Secret, with Hymn Book in third. After the race Byrne said: "We finally got a nice big race out of him... he has that natural speed. He'll wait and do whatever you want". On June 16, Take Charge Indy was made favorite for the
Stephen Foster Handicap
The Stephen Foster Stakes is a Grade I American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of miles on the dirt run annually in mid-June at Churchill Downs Spring Meet in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is named in ...
but after racing in second place he faded in the closing stages and finished last of the six runners behind
Fort Larned
Fort Larned National Historic Site preserves Fort Larned which operated from 1859 to 1878. It is approximately west of Larned, Kansas, United States.
History
The Camp on Pawnee Fork was established on October 22, 1859 to protect traffic al ...
.
On July 28, in the Grade II
Monmouth Cup
The Monmouth Cup Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three-years-old and older run over a distance of miles annually in early July at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey. The event currently offers a purse of $400,00 ...
, at
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with ...
, Take Charge Indy was the favorite and led down the backstretch. However, his jockey heard a "big pop" and quickly pulled him up. The horse was vanned off the track and x-rays showed he had a left front
condylar
A condyle (;Entry "condyle"
in
inbred
Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
3 × 4 to Secretariat, meaning that this stallion appears in both the third and fourth generations of his pedigree.
References
{{reflist, 2
2009 racehorse births
Racehorses bred in Kentucky
Racehorses trained in the United States
Thoroughbred family 22-c