Take Charge Brandi takes home Starlet Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Los Alamitos, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Take Charge Brandi, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, showed determination Saturday in winning the $350,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course.

Take Charge Brandi, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas for Willis Horton, went off as the 13-10 favorite in the seven-horse field going 1 1/16 miles in the former Hollywood Starlet Stakes.

Ridden by her regular jockey Victor Espinoza, the leading 2-year-old filly took the lead shortly after the start and set the entire pace. Take Charge Brandi had a short lead entering the stretch with Majestic Presence to her outside and 2-1 second pick Feathered moving up along the rail.

Take Charge Brandi dug in down the stretch as Feathered and rider Mike Smith challenged her from the inside. The favorite pressed on and posted a half- length victory over Feathered with 15-1 longshot Maybellene getting third.

Majestic Presence held on to fourth followed by Achiever's Legacy, Danette and Don't Blame Me.

The time for the Starlet was 1:42.18 on a fast track.

Take Charge Brandi ran her record to four wins from eight starts. Saturday's $210,000 put the filly's earnings at $1,620,126.

Take Charge Brandi has now won three straight, beginning with her surprise victory in the Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita. The 2-year-old followed that win three weeks later by taking the Delta Downs Princess Stakes in Louisiana.

The filly broke her maiden in her debut at Churchill Downs in June. She was second at Saratoga in the Schuylerville and fifth in the Adirondack Stakes. The filly followed with a fifth in the Pocahontas at Churchill and was eighth in Keeneland's Alcibiades.

Take Charge Brandi returned $4.60, $2.80 and $2.40. Feathered paid $3.00 and $2.60, Maybellene paid $4.80 to show.