Making Money Betting Take Charge Brandi in Starlet
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Description:
Take Charge Brandi wins the Delta Downs Princess Stakes in her most recent start. (Photo by Coady Photography)
Take Charge Brandi was nowhere near the radar of top 2-year-old fillies for most of the year, but now she has established herself as the leading candidate for the Eclipse Award in her division.
After a 61.70-1 upset in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and a game win in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess Stakes, Take Charge Brandi arrives as the one to beat in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos.
Although she appears to have the advantage over this group, I feel Take Charge Brandi can be defeated if a few things don’t go her way early on in the race. She will be a big favorite and there is still money to be made if we key her around some better-priced horses. She might get more pace pressure this time, and the travel schedule from the past month and half might catch up with her.
Horses that I will use around Take Charge Brandi:
#1 Achiever’s Legacy: She has improved in each start since arriving to this barn, and her form is headed in the right direction. She looked very professional in her latest win and can benefit from a good trip by hugging the rail from her inside post.
#2 Don’t Blame Me: She immediately showed tremendous improvement when stretching out over two turns by posting a strong win and a game second-place finish in two routes on the dirt. Her front-running style can make this race interesting for Take Charge Brandi.
#5 Majestic Presence: Ran a better-than-it-looked third behind Take Charge Brandi in the Delta Princess when breaking from the far outside post on a smaller oval with tighter turns. She had a wide trip and rallied nicely while beaten less than 3 lengths. She’s heading in the right direction.
#7 Maybellene: Her sire, Lookin At Lucky, was a terrific runner who excelled on dirt and she seems to be getting good at the right time. Her first try on the dirt in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes was a complete toss out after she stumbled at the start and was eased. She later returned with a game win in her second start on the dirt while beating a few of the same rivals she will face in the Starlet. She’s another one who has some early speed.
Trifecta Strategy:
$1 trifecta: 6 with 1,2,5,7 with 1,2,5,7 ($12)
$1 trifecta: 1,2,5,7 with 6 with 1,2,5,7 ($12)
$1 trifecta: 1,2,5,7 with 1,2,5,7 with 6 ($12)
Total: $36
$350,000 Starlet Stakes
Los Alamitos, Saturday, Race 8, 7 p.m. ET
1 1/16 miles, dirt, 2-year-old fillies
PP
Horse
Jockey
Weight
Trainer
1
Achiever's Legacy
Drayden Van Dyke
120
Jerry Hollendorfer
2
Don't Blame Me
Tyler Baze
120
Kristin Mulhall
3
Danette
Kent Desormeaux
120
Keith Desormeaux
4
Feathered
Mike Smith
120
Todd Pletcher
5
Majestic Presence
Gary Stevens
120
Jerry Hollendorfer
6
Take Charge Brandi
Victor Espinoza
120
D. Wayne Lukas
7
Maybellene
Rafael Bejarano
120
Bob Baffert