Aqueduct: Bernietakescharge looks to follow dam's lead

A little more than five years after sending out the Freud mare Berning Rose to a victory in the state-bred Maid of the Mist at Belmont Park, trainer Domenick Schettino and owner-breeders Robert Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein will hope to see the second-generation New York homebred Bernietakescharge score her first stakes victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Franklin Square at Aqueduct.

Bernietakescharge had morning-line odds of 8-1 for the 6 1/2-furlong sprint, with Mike Maker's My Mane Squeeze the early favorite at 5-2.

“Her mom showed right off the bat in her early breezes that she could really run,” Schettino said. “Bernietakescharge isn’t as mature as her mom was as a 2-year-old, but she’s starting to mature and really put it all together now.”

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Bernietakescharge is the second foal produced from Berning Rose to race for her connections, joining her half-sister Berning Honor in the Schettino barn last May. The dark bay daughter of Take Charge Indy arrives at the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for state-bred sophomore fillies from a six-furlong, New York-bred, optional-claiming score at Aqueduct on Dec. 14 when sporting blinkers for the first time.

There she pounced from 1 1/2 lengths off the pace to take a head advantage at the stretch call and fend off P Mutter Pickle by three-quarters of a length. The win garnered a career-best 69 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

“The blinkers were on, and she seemed a little more focused with them,” Schettino said. “She’s still learning. They liked the horse she beat.”

Bernietakescharge debuted on the turf with a third-place effort in a 1 1/16-mile maiden tilt Aug. 2 at Saratoga but responded to a change in surface with aplomb when shorted up to one mile to score a pacesetting win in an off-the-turf route two weeks later over a fast Spa main track.

She made her stakes debut in October over fast and sealed going in the state-bred Maid of the Mist at the Big A and finished an even fourth after being bumped heading into the stretch and finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind the victorious My Mane Squeeze, who she will face again in the Franklin Square.

Bernietakescharge posted her final breeze in preparation for the Franklin Square on Jan. 2 with jockey Trevor McCarthy up, covering a half-mile in company in 51.28 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.

“Trevor worked her, and we just schooled her a little bit,” Schettino said. “It was a nice work. She galloped out well.”

Schettino said he expects Bernietakescharge, who will emerge from post 7 in rein to McCarthy, eventually will be effective at a range of distances.

“I’m pretty sure she’ll carry distance further than 6 1/2 (furlongs). It’s just that this race happened to come up that distance,” Schettino said. “I think she’ll run well in there, and she’s positioned well with the post.”

Bernietakescharge boasts total purse earnings of $112,210. Her second dam Peach Flambe was a winner on turf and a dual stakes winner on dirt at distances of seven and nine furlongs.