12-1 shot Will Take Charge gave trainer D. Wayne Lukas his second win in a Kentucky Derby prep race this weekend when he out-fought Texas Bling and held off Always in a Tiz to win the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes by a neck.
Ridden to victory by Jon Court, Will Take Charge got off to a decent start at the beginning of the one-mile race, but was caught six-wide entering the first turn and was still four-wide by the time the field entered the backstretch. Despite this difficult trip, Will Take Charge was able to recover well enough to settle into fourth-place as Avare and Texas Bling led the way through fractions of :23.11 and :46.65 seconds. King Henny, Always in a Tiz, Brown Almighty, and Officer Alex were are within a few lengths of the lead, while Best of Birdstone and Stormy Holiday were the trailers.
Moving around the final turn, Will Take Charge began to advance on the far outside, drawing to within a head of Texas Bling following three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.89. He appeared capable of going right on by, but Texas Bling dug in tenaciously, and the two young colts put on a thrilling show from the top of the stretch all the way to the wire. It was unfortunate that one had to lose, but eventually, Texas Bling yielded just a bit, and Will Take Charge won by a neck in 1:38.64 seconds.
Always in a Tiz rallied fast in the final strides to finish third, and surely would have won had the race been just a few strides longer. Stormy Holiday finished fourth, 4 3/4 lengths behind the top trio. Brown Almighty, Officer Alex, Avare, Best of Birdstone, and King Henny completed the order of finish.
The winner, a son of Unbridled's Song out of Dehere mare Take Charge Lady, is owned by Willis D. Horton.
-Keelerman
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