Take Charge Lady, in her Spinster Stakes victory.
Millionaire Take Charge Lady, raced by Jerry and Faye Bach in the name of Select Stable, has been retired and will reside at Robert N. Clay's Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky. The 4-year-old daughter of Dehere finished fifth in the Nov. 27 Falls City Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs in what was her final start. Her career record reads $2,480,377 in earnings, with 11 wins--nine in stakes--and seven seconds from 22 starts for trainer Ken McPeek. She will be sent to major sire Seeking the Gold in 2004. Bred in Kentucky by William Schettine, Take Charge Lady was particularly effective at Keeneland, winning all five of her starts there, including the 2001 Walmac International Alcibiades Stakes (gr. II), the 2002 Ashland Stakes (gr. I), and the 2002-03 Overbrook Spinster Stakes (gr. I). She is one four distaffers--the others being Bornastar, Susan's Girl, and Bayakoa--to win the Spinster twice, and one of three to win the Alcibiades, Ashland, and Spinster, joining Doubledogdare and Optimistic Gal.Take Charge Lady, who was produced from the Rubiano mare Felicita, won four other graded stakes and placed in seven grade I or grade II events."Take Charge Lady has done more than enough on the track and it's time for her to embark on her new career," said Jerry Bach. "She's a very honest filly and has given us one thrill after another. We're also retiring our stakes winner Hi Tech Honeycomb to Three Chimneys and we're going to see what sort of foals they produce for us. We may sell the foals or we may keep and race them, it all depends on what else we have at the racetrack."Bred by Ted Lucas and Dana Holt, Hi Tech Honeycomb won six of 20 starts, was twice graded stakes-placed, and earned $278,128. The 4-year-old daughter of Meadow Monster is out of the It's Freezing mare Star of Fairway. Breeding plans are incomplete.
