Take Charge Brandi Wires Starlet Thriller

Favored Take Charge Brandi registered her second grade I win of the year and third graded victory in a row when she captured the $350,000 Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies by half a length Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos Race Course .

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas successfully returned to the place where his remarkable training career began as a Hall of Fame Quarter Horse conditioner before turning full-time to Thoroughbreds in 1978. Lukas, who has won the Starlet a record eight times, trains Take Charge Brandi for owner Willis Horton.

Previously contested at Hollywood Park, the Starlet was run for the first time at Los Alamitos.

"People have been so gracious here," Lukas said. "People that I haven't seen for years, fans I recognized from being here every night when we were running the Quarter Horses. It's wonderful.''

The front-running victory likely sews up an Eclipse Award as juvenile filly champion for the winning daughter of Giant's Causeway  . Prior to the Starlet Take Charge Brandi shockingly won the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) for her first stakes win Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park and came back three weeks later with a solid victory in the Delta Downs Princess (gr. III).

Victor Espinoza was once again aboard Take Charge Brandi, who won the 1 1/16-mile Starlet in a terrific stretch duel in a time of 1:42.18. Narrowly in front through the long Los Alamitos stretch run, the free-running filly doggedly held off a determined challenge at the rail from second choice Feathered, with Maybellene a neck farther back in third in the outside.

"I was a little surprised at first that she made that easy a lead, but once she gets to that cruising speed, she's so quick it's hard for the others to keep up with her," said Espinoza, who rode Take Charge Brandi for the first time in the Breeders' Cup. "I was just focused on my horse in the stretch. It seemed like when she felt them coming, she dug in and wasn't going to let them by.''

The 6-5 choice in the field of seven, Take Charge Brandi posted her fourth win from eight starts this year and boosted her seasonal bankroll to $1,620,126.

Under equal weights of 120 pounds, Take Charge Brandi paid $4.60, $2.80, and $2.40, keying a chalky $11.40 exacta with Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Feathered, who returned $3 and $2.60. Maybellene, trained by Bob Baffert for his wife Jill, paid $4.80 to show.

The runner-up, shipping in from Belmont Park for trainer Todd Pletcher, was fourth in the BC Juvenile Fillies in her prior start, one length behind Take Charge Brandi.

"All credit goes to Take Charge Brandi, the Lukas team and (Espinoza)," said Aron Wellman, president of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. "What can you say? Everybody came at her from all different angles and she just fends them all off. Our filly ran her race. She's just gotten beaten by a better filly two times in a row now, but we're incredibly proud of (Feathered's) effort. She certainly belongs with the best of her generation.''

Charming Syndicate bred Take Charge Brandi in Kentucky out of the Seeking the Gold mare Charming, a daughter of Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady. Horton paid $435,000 for the chestnut filly from the Paramount Sales consignment at the 2013 Keeneland September sale.

Though she tossed in three clunkers this summer and fall—losing those races in graded company by a combined 36 1/2 lengths—Take Charge Brandi has shown her true ability in her most recent three efforts. The game chestnut scored gate-to-wire at 61-1 odds in the $2 million BC Juvenile Fillies, holding off Top Decile by half a length. She then proved her mettle over the Delta Downs bullring with another front-running tally by 1 1/2 lengths in the $500,000 Princess as the 2-1 favorite.

"It's completely changed her since we decided just to leave her alone and let her run her race," Lukas said of the change-up in form for Take Charge Brandi. "We tried to get too cute with her during the summer and finally, I woke up and said 'I'll just leave her alone.' We made that decision and it's worked."



Speaking of the Eclipse Award, Lukas added, "The whole purpose of coming here was to take the doubt out of it if we could, and I didn't think we had to win to do that. I told Willis that if we ran 1-2-3 we would still be very much in the picture."

With the pressure on once again in the Starlet, Take Charge Brandi went directly to the front after bobbling a bit at the break from post 6 to lead Feathered, with Maybellene camped on her outside as she angled her way over to the rail going into the first turn.

Take Charge Brandi maintained about a length advantage over Maybellene and Rafael Bejarano, as Feathered dropped back a bit alongside Majestic Presence while saving ground for Mike Smith. Espinoza had a firm hold on Take Charge Brandi as they dictated an even pace through quarter-mile fractions of :23.64, :47.68, and 1:11.26.

Having negotiated the tight far turn, Take Charge Brandi continued to lead narrowly at the head of the lane, but looked to be in trouble as Majestic Presence joined the leaders on the outside in the stretch drive. Feathered had room to exploit along the inside as Take Charge Brandi raced off the rail approaching the eighth pole.

Majestic Presence drew to within half a length at the eighth pole on the outside with Maybellene a head behind her and Feathered advancing as well. But Take Charge Brandi refused to give in while all out under strong hand urging from Espinoza, reaching the wire just in time.

Espinoza, who won the 2001 Hollywood Starlet aboard the Bob Baffert-trained Habibti, marveled at Take Charge Brandi's recent accomplishments.



"This is an exceptional filly,'' he said. "To win the Breeders' Cup and then go to Delta Downs and win and then come back with this race is amazing."

"We had a great trip and she ran a big race," Smith said of Feathered. "I was hoping for a little more pace, but it didn't work out that way.''

Majestic Presence, who weakened late under Gary Stevens, finished fourth, followed by Achiever's Legacy, Danette, and Don't Blame Me.

Lukas' seven Starlet wins at Hollywood came with Althea (1983), Cuddles (1990), Serena's Song (1994), Cara Rafaela (1995), Sharp Cat (1996), Love Lock (1997), and Surfside (1999). The 79-year-old Lukas became the first trainer to win both a Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred grade I at Los Alamitos.