Whisper Hill Farm's homebred Charge It went a half-mile in :48.77 Saturday morning on Saratoga Race Course's main track in his final tune up for next Saturday's $1-million Whitney (G1).
Trained by four-time Whitney winning trainer Todd Pletcher, Charge It, enters the prestigious 1 1/8-mile test from a 4 3/4-length win in the 1 1/4-mile Suburban (G2) on July 8 at Belmont Park, where the son of Tapit registered a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I thought it was excellent. He did it well in hand and looked good doing it. I've been very pleased with the way he's trained since the Suburban,” said Pletcher, who campaigned previous Whitney winners Left Bank [2002], Lawyer Ron [2007], Cross Traffic [2013] and Life Is Good [2022].
The Suburban victory was a redemptive one for Charge It, who was fourth in the Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) on June 10 at Belmont after finishing fifth as the favorite in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 22.
During his sophomore campaign, Charge It finished a game second to White Abarrio in his stakes debut in the Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park, which propelled him to a start in the Kentucky Derby (G1) five weeks later. He finished 17th-of-20 in the Kentucky Derby, but made amends next out with a 23-length conquest of the Dwyer (G3) at Belmont Park, which garnered a career-high 111 Beyer.
“He's a horse that's always trained really strongly and shown hints that he's capable to run a big race,” Pletcher noted. “His Dwyer was brilliant. His Suburban, I thought, was his most professional race. He's starting to put it all together consistently. It's a very tall order going up against the best older horses in training, but we're happy with the way he's coming into it.”
Charge It is out of the Indian Charlie mare I'll Take Charge, whose Grade 1-winning and producing dam Take Charge Lady was the mother of 2013 Champion 3-Year-Old Colt Will Take Charge, Grade 1-winner Take Charge Indy and Charming – the dam of Grade 1-winning millionaire Omaha Beach and 2014 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Take Charge Brandi.
Gary and Mary West's Grade 1-winning Kentucky homebred West Will Power worked five-eighths in 1:02.24 in company with stakes-placed Tapit Shoes over the Oklahoma training track Saturday with an eye toward the Whitney.
Trained by Brad Cox and piloted through the breeze by Flavien Prat, the 6-year-old Bernardini horse worked to the outside of his sophomore stablemate, who was last seen finishing ninth in the Belmont Stakes (G1).
“It was good. They broke off a little slow, but finished up and galloped out great,” Cox said of the 5:40 a.m. (ET) breeze. “He always gallops out well – that's the best part of his works each week.”
Cox said West Will Power, last-out winner of the Stephen Foster (G1) on July 1 at Ellis Park, is not definite for the nine-furlong Whitney as of yet and that the millionaire multiple graded stakes winner could also come under consideration for the 1/1/4-mile, $1-million Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 2 at the Spa. Both the Whitney and Jockey Club Gold Cup offer a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in November at Santa Anita Park.
“It's a very prestigious race. It means a lot,” said Cox, regarding the Whitney. “We'll see how things unfold after this work and make a decision a little bit later. We'll speak with the West team and come up with a plan.
“We could come back here a mile and a quarter. I've always thought that might be something he wants to do,” Cox continued. “I'm just going to continue to watch him and make sure he's on top of his game.”
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