Take Charge Brandi Eyes Another Grade I in Starlet

Looking to bolster her argument for an Eclipse Award, Take Charge Brandi will seek her third consecutive graded stakes victory in her return to California in the $350,000-guaranteed Starlet Saturday at Los Alamitos.

The final Grade I of 2014 for 2-year-old fillies, the Starlet will be run for the first time locally after 33 renewals as the Hollywood Starlet (1981-2013) at the now-closed Hollywood Park.

Post time is 12:30 p.m. The Starlet is the eighth of nine races and has an approximate post time of 4 p.m.

A full color 2015 wall calendar – featuring, among others, locally-based Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner and leading Horse of the Year candidate California Chrome, Shared Belief, winner of the Grade II Los Alamitos Derby as well as the Grade I TVG Pacific Classic, and quarter horse stars Heza Dasha Fire and Moonist - will be given away Saturday per paid admission.

Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas for owner Willis D. Horton, Take Charge Brandi has blossomed in recent weeks.

The daughter of Giant’s Causeway and the Seeking the Gold mare Charming had lost four in a row by a combined 28 lengths after her debut victory at 4 ½ furlongs June 22 at Churchill Downs before rebounding in a big way in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Santa Anita.

Dismissed at 61-1, Take Charge Brandi led throughout under jockey Victor Espinoza – who has the mount Saturday – to prevail by a half-length.

The $435,000 purchase at the Keeneland 2013 September sale followed that upset with a 1 ¼ length victory as the 2-1 favorite in the Grade III Delta Princess three weeks later at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.

A winner three times in seven starts with a bankroll of $1,410,126, Take Charge Brandi will be favored to enhance her championship resume in the Starlet at a venue where Lukas, 79, had much success decades ago.

While based at Los Alamitos in the 1970’s, Lukas trained 23 quarter horse world champions before he switched to thoroughbreds full time 36 years ago.

Additionally, Lukas won seven stakes races during the Orange County Fair thoroughbred meets, which were conducted from 1977-1991 at Los Alamitos, tying him for the lead with Mel Stute.

If Take Charge Brandi wins Saturday, Lukas, who won the Hollywood Starlet a record seven times – including four in a row (1994-1997) - would become the first trainer to win both a Grade I quarter horse race and Grade I thoroughbred event at Los Alamitos.

The same applies to Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, also a very successful quarter horse trainer before he switched breeds well over 20 years ago.

A two-time winner of the Hollywood Starlet – Excellent Meeting (1998) and Habibti (2001) – Baffert’s representative Saturday will be Maybellene, who is owned by his wife Jill.

A daughter of Lookin At Lucky and the Giant’s Causeway mare Greathearted, Maybellene has won twice in six races and earned $109,300. She stretches out again after finishing second in the ungraded Desi Arnaz Stakes Nov. 16 at Del Mar.

Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who won the Hollywood Starlet in 2009 with Blind Luck and two years later with Killer Graces, will send out Achiever’s Legacy and Majestic Presence.

Owned by a large partnership that includes Gillian Campbell, Margaret Celluci, Dan Horowitz, Richard Robertson, Marty Joseph and her trainer, Achiever’s Legacy was 9-1 when she won the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz, rallying from last in the field of four.

The win was the second in five starts for the City Zip filly and pushed her earnings to $89,060. Out of the Lure mare Lure the Bear, Achiever’s Legacy is 1-for-4 since being privately purchased by her current connections.

The Kentucky bred chestnut broke her maiden for trainer Joseph Catanese III in her June 27 debut on the turf at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Mark DeDomenico LLC and North America Thoroughbred Horse Company, Majestic Presence is 1-for-5 with a bankroll of $112,000.

After finishing ninth of 12 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, the daughter of Majestic Warrior and the Victory Gallop mare Shining Victory finished third in the Delta Princess, 2 ½ lengths behind Take Charge Brandi.

Fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies – defeated by only one length – Feathered will be the first Los Alamitos starter for trainer Todd Pletcher.

An Indian Charlie filly out of the Dynaformer mare Receipt, Feathered has earned $236,400 while winning once in four starts for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. Her victory came by 9 ¼ lengths vs. maidens at seven furlongs Aug. 31 at Saratoga.

Directly behind Feathered in the BC Juvenile Fillies, Danette will be looking for her first win in the Starlet.

A six-race maiden owned by Don’t Tell My Wife Stables, the Curlin filly out of the Dixieland Band mare Sugar Britches has earned $121,076. She’s trained by Keith Desormeaux, who also conditions Breeders’ Cup Juvenile upsetter Texas Red.

Don’t Blame Me is the only member of the lineup with experience at Los Alamitos.

The daughter of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame and the Forestry mare Forestier finished second behind Morning Coffee in a maiden race here Sept. 14.

Trained by Kristin Mulhall for breeder Alan S. Kline and American Equistock Racing, Inc., Don’t Blame Me has one win in seven races and has banked $80,500. In her most recent appearance and turf debut, the Maryland bred was third at 14-1 in the Grade III Jimmy Durante Stakes Nov. 29 at Del Mar.

Achiever’s Legacy, Danette, Don’t Blame Me, Feathered and Majestic Presence were supplemented to the Starlet for $7,500 with an additional $7,500 required to start.

From inside out, the field for the Starlet:  Achiever’s Legacy, Drayden Van Dyke rides, 120 pounds; Don’t Blame Me, Tyler Baze, 120; Danette, Kent Desormeaux, 120; Feathered, Mike Smith, 120; Majestic Presence, Gary Stevens, 120; Take Charge Brandi, Victor Espinoza, 120 and Maybellene, Rafael Bejarano, 120.

Source: Los Alamitos Race Course