Oaklawn: Take Charge Milady wins Ky. Oaks prep for McPeek

Going wide around the track proved to be a winning route for Take Charge Milady, who took the lead late before turning for home on the way to a 5 3/4-length romp Saturday in the $300,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn.

The two-turn, 1 1/16-mile race was a points prep for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs. The 20-10-6-4-2 points were divvied up among all five of the 3-year-old fillies.

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Trained by 2024 Kentucky Oaks and Derby winner Kenny McPeek, Take Charge Milady (5-2) bided her time in fourth place early. She went three wide around the first turn as many as 3 1/2 lengths behind front-running Legal Empress (25-1), who established early fractions of 24.35 and 48.79 seconds.

Take Charge Milady and odds-on favorite Quietside (1-2) accelerated through the second turn to the outside of Legal Empress, overtaking her with seeming ease as three-quarters of a mile went in 1:13.62.

Once she was out of the turn and into the homestretch, Take Charge Milady found an extra burst of speed under jockey Julien Leparoux, leading by 3 1/2 lengths through a mile in 1:40.11 before drawing away to a winning time of 1:46.81 on the fast dirt track.

Quietside held second by three lengths over third-place Legal Empress. It was another 5 3/4 lengths back to Gowells Delight (4-1) in fourth with Adeera racing last all the way around, 20 3/4 lengths behind the winner at the end.

Take Charge Milady paid $7.20, $2.60 and $2.10; Quietside $2.10 and $2.10; and Legal Empress $3.40.

Owned by James Ball, the trainer’s wife Sherri McPeek and Kenneth Rhodes, Take Charge Milady was sired by Take Charge Indy out of Scat Daddy mare Price too High. After finishing sixth in a muddy debut in July at Ellis Park, she went on a break, placed second last month in an Oaklawn allowance race and broke her maiden in a muddy mile over the same course Jan. 5.