Willis Horton's champion Take Charge Brandi posted a five-furlong bullet work in 1:00 2/5 Feb. 21 at Oaklawn Park, a major move in preparation for her upcoming outing in the $150,000 Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies March 7.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas breezed Take Charge Brandi with male stablemates Vogner and Sierra Delta—both 3-year-old maidens—moments after the track opened for training at 7 a.m. CST.
Cloudy skies, fog and distant lightning greeted Take Charge Brandi, who started some eight lengths behind her stablemates at the five-furlong pole. She began to cut into the deficit on the outside around the turn and briefly appeared like she would reel in the duo in the upper stretch.
But Take Charge Brandi finished about four lengths behind Sierra Romeo and Vogner, who were both credited with five furlongs in 1:01.60. Following opening splits of :11 4/5, :23 4/5, and :36 2/5, Take Charge Brandi covered her final quarter-mile in :24 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 2/5, according to Oaklawn lead clocker Jim Hamilton. The surface was rated good for Take Charge Brandi's work, but heavy rain began falling moments later, eventually flooding parts of the infield.
Take Charge Brandi, who earned an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old filly at the end of 2014, opened 2015 with a head victory in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Jan. 31.
Lukas said Saturday morning he still plans to start Super Saks, a front-running 11-length maiden winner sprinting Jan. 30, in the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee as well.
