Take Charge Paula Assigned Charles Town Oaks Top Weight

Slated as the 123-pound highweight for the $300,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3), Peter Deutsch's Take Charge Paula will give the overflow field of 10 3-year-old fillies three to five pounds Sept. 22 at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Take Charge Paula has had only two off-the-board finishes in her sophomore season so far. One of those came in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) three starts back, where she faced a different level of class than what she was used to after coming off second-place finishes in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2) and Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) at Gulfstream Park. 

Since the Oaks, the Take Charge Indy filly finished third in the June 10 Jersey Girl Stakes and seventh in the July 8 Victory Ride Stakes (G3), both at Belmont Park. To start the 2018 season, Take Charge Paula won the seven-furlong Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream.

"She broke her maiden in July of 2017 and made her 12th start in July of this year," McLaughlin explained. "So the owner and I talked about giving her more time between races. The Charles Town Oaks seemed like a great spot. She is probably best at seven furlongs, but two turns is a concern. But she is training great."

In what could be considered a step down in class for Take Charge Paula after finishing first or second in eight of her 12 starts, the seven-furlong Charles Town Oaks is filled with plenty of challengers.

Three fillies were given the second-highest weight assignment of 120 pounds: Leonard Green's Jersey Girl winner Sower; Peter Brant's Longines Test Stakes (G1) fourth-place finisher Alter Moon; and Two W's Stables' Bronx Beauty, who has won four of five stakes races.

Trained by Linda Rice, Sower comes into the Charles Town Oaks off a fourth-place finish in the Prioress Stakes (G2) at Saratoga Race Course behind grade 1 winners Dream Tree and Moonshine Memories (first and third, respectively) and grade 2 winner Mia Mischief (second). One race prior, she placed third in the Victory Ride.

"We gave Sower a break after the Victory Ride at Belmont, and I had it in mind to run her in the Prioress and then back in the Charles Town Oaks," Rice said. "We're hoping she will like the course at Charles Town, and we're also hoping to get the grade 3 black type on her."

Rice has also entered multiple stakes winner Split Time.

Chad Brown's entry, Alter Moon, has yet to break through at the graded level, but the daughter of second-crop sire Alternation  handled the step into top-level stakes well, missing third in the Test by a nose. One race prior, Alter Moon took the Azalea Stakes by five lengths at Gulfstream at the Charles Town Oaks distance.

Pennsylvania-bred Bronx Beauty, trained by Anthony Margotta, has only lost once at four tracks at distances ranging from four furlongs to 6 1/2 furlongs. The Liaison  filly will stretch to seven furlongs for the first time while making her graded stakes debut in the Charles Town Oaks.

Two of the more lightly raced fillies to watch Saturday are Todd Pletcher-trained Alberobello, who has won two of her four starts, and the Brad Cox trainee Sense of Bravery, who was second to Champagne Problems last time out in the Groupie Doll Stakes (G3) at Ellis Park.

Entries: Charles Town Oaks (G3)

Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races, Saturday, September 22, 2018, Race 11

• Grade III
• 7f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 10:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Split Time (NY)	Junior Alvarado	118	Linda Rice	15/1
2	2Sower (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	120	Linda Rice	4/1
3	3Late Night Pow Wow (WV)	Fredy Peltroche	118	Javier Contreras	12/1
4	4Take Charge Paula (KY)	Jose Lezcano	123	Kiaran P. McLaughlin	6/1
5	5Alberobello (KY)	John R. Velazquez	118	Todd A. Pletcher	5/1
6	6Awesome Mass (FL)	Jose C. Ferrer	118	Jorge Navarro	12/1
7	7Devine Mischief (KY)	J. D. Acosta	118	Joe Sharp	8/1
8	8Alter Moon (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Chad C. Brown	7/2
9	9Sense of Bravery (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Brad H. Cox	5/1
10	10Bronx Beauty (PA)	Joel Rosario	120	Anthony R. Margotta, Jr.	15/1
11	11Diamondcoat (KY)	Arnaldo Bocachica	118	Kellyn Gorder	20/1
12	12Chauncey (KY)	Jevian Toledo	118	Lacey Gaudet	20/1
13	13She's Quiet (NY)	Antonio Lopez	118	Jeffrey S. Allen	15/1