Take Charge Brandi even-money for Martha Washington Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Hot Springs, AR (SportsNetwork.com) - Champion filly Take Charge Brandi is the even-money morning line favorite for Saturday's $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

Owned by Willis Horton and trained by D. Wayne Lukas, Take Charge Brandi begins her 3-year-old season in the mile stakes and will start from post 6 with veteran jockey Jon Court riding her for the first time. Six other 3-year-old fillies will take on the champ.

"I think the mile is a logical choice," the Hall of Fame trainer earlier said, referring to the Martha Washington distance.

Take Charge Brandi, who is being pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 1, won the 2014 Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly primarily based on her 61-1 upset victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last November.

The filly finished her Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old season by taking the Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 13. That victory came just three weeks after capturing the Delta Downs Princess Stakes on Nov. 22. The filly has won four of eight starts for $1,620,126.

The 7-2 second choice is Indian Annie who will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. from post 4. The filly is trained by Steve Asmussen and partly owned by Whispering Oaks Farm.

Indian Annie has won two of her three starts, reaching the winner's circle the second time out at Fair Grounds on Nov. 22 and claiming an allowance race at Oaklawn on Jan. 17.

Here is the field for the Martha Washington in post position order: Perfect Fit, Cliff Berry, 8-1; Cape Town Stevie, Emmanuel Esquivel, 30-1; High Dollar Woman, Joe Rocco Jr., 6-1; Indian Annie, Ricardo Santana Jr., 7-2; Sarah Sis, Julio Felix, 5-1; Take Charge Brandi, Jon Court, even and Sweet Corinna, Channing Hill, 10-1

Post time for the Martha Washington will be approximately 5:38 p.m. ET.