Gold Cup likely for Will Take Charge

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) – Exactly where Travers winner Will Take Charge will make his next start is still undecided, but a meeting with older thoroughbreds is not unlikely.

Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Will Take Charge nosed out 31-1 longshot Moreno to win Saturday’s “Mid-Summer Derby” while also defeating Kentucky Derby winner Orb, Belmont Stakes champ Palace Malice and Haskell winner Verrazano.

“We thought he would mature into a better horse,” the Hall of Fame trainer noted, “but we took some chances. We took an untried rider (Luis Saez) who had never won a Grade 1 in his life and put him up there. We took the blinkers off. I’ve always felt in racing and training horses that if it’s not working, change up and try something different.”

Next up for Will Take Charge could be the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 21 at Parx Racing or the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup against older horses at Belmont Park on Sept. 28.

“One of them’s a Grade 1 and very prestigious. If you were to win the Jockey Club, you’d go damn sure to the head of the division,” Lukas said. “If you stay in your division, the million dollars is not necessarily bad, either. We’ll weigh all the things. You get an extra week if you go to the Jockey Club, so that’s also something.”

The colt won the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park in January followed by a sixth in the Southwest and a win in the Rebel at the Arkansas track. He then trained up to the Run for the Roses where he finished eighth. He followed with a seventh in the Preakness and 10th in the Belmont Stakes.

Will Take Charge has banked $1.2 million with four wins in 12 starts.

Categorized in: Horses