Will Take Charge has Horsenality

With my positions at NBC, TVG and Fashion at the Races, I’m lucky enough to get up close and personal with some of the biggest stars in horse racing. For me, and many others out there, the feeling of meeting these horses is a lot like meeting your favorite celebrities. However, due to the nature of the sport, many fans never get to meet their favorite equine athletes. In my new blog, Horsenalities, I hope to connect fans with their favorite horses on a more personal level. I’ve made it my mission to get the inside scoop, straight from the horse’s mouth… well, almost. 

For the first installment of Horsenalities, I’ve chosen a large chestnut colt with quite a bit of chrome (easy Chromies, it’s not California Chrome... yet) and the most adorable googly eye (technical term: visible sclera). I first met him the week before the Kentucky Derby when NBC was filming each of the contenders. Our star is … Will Take Charge! Born in Kentucky on April 13, 2010, out of Take Charge Lady and sired by Unbridled’s Song. He’s a large horse, standing over 17 hands tall and this year he’s standing at stud for his first season at Three Chimneys Farm in Kentucky.

So if you haven’t followed Will Take Charge, let’s take a look back at his history. In September of 2011, he was consigned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency at the Keeneland Sales. For the price of $425,000 the yearling was purchased by Willis D. Horton. When the colt was a two year old, he was sent to D. Wayne Lukas, otherwise known as, “The Coach”. Will Take Charge broke his maiden in his second start at Keeneland in a Maiden Special Weight going seven furlongs on the Polytrack. His next victory came during the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park in early 2013, when he broke from the outside post to finish ahead by a neck after wide one mile on the dirt. Will Take Charge claimed another success at Oaklawn Park that March when he ousted an early Kentucky Derby favorite (and later Preakness winner), Oxbow, in the Rebel Stakes. 

Fast-forward to the Kentucky Derby, Will Take Charge broke from postposition 17, a spot from which no Derby contender has ever won. In addition to a wide trip, the colt encountered significant trouble at the top of the stretch and finished eighth. He ran in all of the Triple Crown races but didn’t hit the board until he finished second in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga that July. From that point on, the fiery red colt was nearly unstoppable. 

Will Take Charge went on to win the Travers Stakes at Saratoga, claiming victory over Kentucky Derby winner, Orb, and Belmont Stakes winner, Palace Malice. After that, he won the Pennsylvania Derby and finished just a nose short to Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders’ Cup Classic after a very impressive stretch run. His last race of 2013 included a trip to the winner’s circle after he caught the notorious Game On Dude in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs. His record, along with his dominating stretch runs, earned Will Take Charge the 2013 Eclipse Award for Champion 3-Year-Old Colt. 

In his final year of racing, Will Take Charge would finish in the money 5 out of his last 6 starts, all of which were Graded Stakes. This noteworthy list included the Donn Handicap, Santa Anita Handicap, Oaklawn Handicap, Alysheba Stakes, Stephen Foster Handicap and Whitney Handicap.

Phew, what a horse! 

Now that we’ve finished our history lesson, let’s hear how he’s doing now. I recently checked in with Will Take Charge during a photo shoot for Fashion at the Races (look out for us in the 2016 Fashion at the Races calendar.)

But to get to know him a little bit better, I spoke with my friend Sandy Hatfield, stallion manager at Three Chimneys Farm, who takes care of Will Take Charge on a daily basis. Here’s what she had to say: 

M: What’s his personality like? 

S: He has a great personality! He is a horse that really likes people. He’s very friendly and he thinks a lot of himself, but most good horses do. He’s definitely an observant horse; he watches everything! When he first got here, we’d be hand grazing him and he’d look up to see a horse walking about 3 miles away. He's really an exceptional horse to be around. He is extremely smart and he knows it. 

M: Does Will Take Charge have a nickname around the farm? 

S: Willy!  

M: Does he have any interesting quirks? 

S: Not really. The only thing I can think of is that he shakes his head when he’s mad. Not in a mean way, more like a little kid that's throwing a temper tantrum. Sometimes he does it so much we think his brain might start rattling around in there!  

M: Any favorite treats? 

S: Well, we’re a peppermint and apple kind of group. And he definitely loves both of those! 

M: How has he adjusted to life as a stud? 

S: He’s adjusted well. They almost all lose a little condition when they retire, but he’s come back and really blossomed. He goes out in his paddock and is very interested in everything that’s going on. Whatever it is, he has to go over and investigate it. He’s pretty social, too. People love to come and visit him! They’re always excited to see him in person. 

M: Sounds like he lives up to his name, taking charge of the farm. Does he have any best friends at Three Chimneys? 

S: Probably, Exchange Rate. 

M: Any favorite Will Take Charge stories or memories? 

S: Not yet. He hasn’t been here that long, only a couple of months. But I love how much energy he has. I would take him out and hand walk him when he first came off the track. He was always so full of himself, jumping around, but never mean. It’s always nice to have a horse of that caliber.  

M: And as for his book, does it seem like people are excited about his first season at stud? 

S: Oh yeah! His book is closed. It’s completely full. Everyone that comes to see him loves him. He’s a big strapping horse, but well proportioned. We’re excited for him to be here at Three Chimney’s Farm. 

~Written by Megan Devine 

(Instagram - missmegandevine / Twitter - @missmegandevine)