Warrior's Charge aims for stakes breakthrough in Oaklawn's Razorback

Is the timing finally right for Warrior’s Charge to secure a signature victory? Clay Sanders said he hopes so.

Sanders and Marshall Gramm are founding partners of Memphis, Tenn.-based Ten Strike Racing, co-owner of Warrior’s Charge, a Brad Cox-trained 4-year-old colt who is scheduled to make his 2020 debut in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses at 1 1/16 miles Monday at Oaklawn.

Warrior’s Charge returns to Oaklawn after a front-running, two-length allowance comeback victory Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds.

Warrior’s Charge started four times last year at Oaklawn and dazzled in his last two at 1 1/16 miles – powering to front-running blowout victories in maiden special weights and first-level allowance company. That promoted Ten Strike and co-owner Madaket Racing (Sol Kumin) to supplement the son of Munnings to the Preakness, the second jewel of the Triple Crown, for $150,000.

Warrior’s Charge finished fourth in his stakes debut, beaten 2 ½ lengths, after leading to mid-stretch.

“Last year was kind of interesting,” Sanders said. “We always had high hopes for this horse, but we didn’t even nominate him for the Triple Crown because of the way he was bred. Even if you look at him physically, he looks more like a sprinter than a router. We were kind of pulling our hair out, as far as we thought, over his lack of success sprinting. He was running well, but he wasn’t breaking his maiden. He really didn’t start flourishing until we stretched him out, which was kind of counter to what everyone thought he was.”

Warrior’s Charge finished third in his first three career starts – races at 6 ½ furlongs, 6 furlongs and 1 mile – before breaking his maiden by six lengths last March on the undercard of the split Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds. Warrior’s Charge then won an allowance race by 6½ lengths last April, the day before the Arkansas Derby (G1), the final major local prep for the Kentucky Derby.

Warrior’s Charge never had a chance to prove himself in other major races following the Preakness because of a health scare (colic). Cox decided to train up to the Razorback after Warrior’s Charge comeback victory at 1 1/16 miles, the colt’s first start against older horses.

“Because of it taking us so long in the spring to figure him out, we were kind of off schedule, if you will, to get to the Triple Crown races,” Sanders said. “We ended up getting to the Preakness and we thought he ran a better-than-it looked fourth. Then the colic popped up and we wanted to take advantage of those 3-year-old dirt route races that offered a chance to make a lot of money and make a stallion prospect. But things happen for a reason and Brad feels he’s bounced out of that and is a better horse now than he was last year.”

Warrior’s Charge is the 9-2 third choice in the program for the Razorback, a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 18. Munnings, who raced in 2008-2010, was a multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter for trainer Todd Pletcher.