Preakness Alumnus Warrior's Charge Lands in Razorback

Is the timing finally right for Warrior's Charge to secure a signature victory? Clay Sanders hopes so.

Sanders and Marshall Gramm are founding partners of Ten Strike Racing, a co-owner of Warrior's Charge. The 4-year-old colt trained by Brad Cox runs in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Feb.17 at Oaklawn Park.

The son of Munnings  set the pace in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico Race Course last year before settling for fourth. A bout of colic kept him sidelined for much of his 3-year-old year.

Video: Preakness S. (G1)

Warrior's Charge heads to Oaklawn after a frontrunning two-length comeback victory in a second-level allowance race Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Last year, he started four times at Oaklawn and dazzled in his last two at 1 1/16 miles—powering to frontrunning blowout victories in maiden special weights and first-level allowance company. That encouraged Ten Strike and co-owner Madaket Stables to boldly pay a $150,000 supplement to run him in the Preakness.

"Last year was kind of interesting," Sanders said. "We always had high hopes for this horse, but we didn't even nominate him for the Triple Crown because of the way he was bred. Even if you look at him physically, he looks more like a sprinter than a router. We were kind of pulling our hair out, as far as we thought, over his lack of success sprinting. He was running well, but he wasn't breaking his maiden. He really didn't start flourishing until we stretched him out, which was kind of counter to what everyone thought he was."

Warrior's Charge finished third in his first three starts—races at 6 1/2 furlongs, six furlongs, and one mile—before breaking his maiden by six lengths in March.

This winter, Cox decided to train up to the Razorback after Warrior's Charge's comeback victory at 1 1/16 miles, the colt's first start against older horses.

"Because of it taking us so long in the spring to figure him out, we were kind of off schedule, if you will, to get to the Triple Crown races," Sanders said. "We ended up getting to the Preakness, and we thought he ran a better-than-it looked fourth. Then the colic popped up, and we wanted to take advantage of those 3-year-old dirt route races that offered a chance to make a lot of money and make a stallion prospect. But things happen for a reason, and Brad feels he's bounced out of that and is a better horse now than he was last year."

Warrior's Charge is the 9-2 third choice in the Razorback, a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 18. Munnings, who raced from 2008-10, was a multiple grade 2-winning sprinter for trainer Todd Pletcher.