Willis Horton's champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi breezed a half-mile at Oaklawn Park Feb. 9 as she continues on her path to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) this spring.
The Giant's Causeway filly was timed in :49 4/5 in her first workout since her front-running victory over Sarah Sis in the Martha Washington Stakes Jan. 31 in her 3-year-old debut at the Hot Springs, Ark. track. Monday's breeze ranked 10th among 22 timed moves at the distance.
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has said even though the filly is a Triple Crown nominee, the Kentucky Oaks May 1 at Churchill Downs is her main spring target, with her preps coming in the $150,000 Honeybee (gr. III) March 7 and $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. II) April 4, both at Oaklawn.
Following her head win in the Martha Washington, Horton mentioned the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) April 11 as a possibility for Take Charge Brandi and perhaps the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) May 2, both against males. Lukas was firm, however, that the plan is the Honeybee, Fantasy, and Oaks.
Last year, Take Charge Brandi won the 14 Hands Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 1, Delta Downs Princess (gr. III) Nov. 22, and Starlet Stakes (gr. I) Dec. 13 in succession to earn the Eclipse Award in her division. She has a 5-1-0 record from nine career starts and $1,680,126 in earnings.
