Racing secretary Pat Pope had some work to do hustling starters for the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes coming up Jan. 31. Although the race closed with 28 nominations, few connections of promising young fillies wanted to face Willis Horton's champion Take Charge Brandi, who will be making her 3-year-old debut in the Oaklawn Park contest.
In the end, Pope got seven to pass the entry box for the one-mile test, with Take Charge Brandi breaking from post 6 under a highweight impost of 122 pounds.
Take Charge Brandi, an Eclipse Award winner as the country's top 2-year-old filly, worked five furlongs in 1:01 3/5 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas Jan. 25 in her final prep for the Martha Washington.
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The daughter of Giant's Causeway closed an eight-race campaign with victories in her three final starts of the season—the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 1, the $400,000 Delta Princess (gr. III) on Nov. 22, and the $350,000 Starlet (gr. I) on Dec. 13.
Jon Court is scheduled to ride Take Charge Brandi for the first time in the Martha Washington, an early local two-turn prep for the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (gr. III) April 4 on the road to the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
The others in the field are seeking their initial stakes score, and all carry 115 pounds except Indian Annie. The daughter of Indian Charlie broke her maiden Nov. 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for trainer Steve Asmussen, and came back Jan. 17 to win a one-mile dirt allowance by 4 1/4 lengths. Racing for Whispering Oaks Farm and partners, she departs the 4 hole with Ricardo Santana Jr. in the irons.
Sarah Sis and Perfect Fit were both edged in stakes appearances last time out. Sarah Sis was defeated a neck in the six-furlong Dixie Bell Stakes at Oaklawn Jan. 15, and Perfect Fit was beaten a length after setting the pace in the one-mile Trapeze Stakes Dec. 14 at Remington Park.
Sarah Sis, a daughter of Sharp Humor who runs for Joe Ragsdale and trainer Ingrid Mason, broke her maiden at first asking at Arlington International Racecourse last August, and was then runner-up there in the listed Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes. Last October, the dark bay filly won a 6 1/2-furlong allowance at Keeneland by 4 1/4 lengths. She breaks from post 5 under jockey Julio Felix.
Before her second in the Trapeze, Perfect Fit broke her maiden second time out and next won an allowance at Remington, both by open lengths for trainer Bret Calhoun and Majestic Racing Partners. The Florida-bred daughter of Majesticperfection drew the rail and will have Cliff Berry aboard for her first start away from Remington.
One runner of interest is East Coast shipper High Dollar Woman, a $675,000 2-year-old purchase last season from the first crop of 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Super Saver . The Tony Dutrow trainee got a work in over the Oaklawn surface Jan. 25, going five furlongs in 1:03 1/5.
High Dollar Woman is coming off a front-running entry-level allowance victory by three lengths Dec. 13 at Parx Racing. She graduated in July at Saratoga Race Course for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and tries stakes company for the first time. Bred by WinStar, she was purchased by her connections from the Eddie Woods consignment at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s selected sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Joining High Dollar Woman in their stakes debuts are Cape Town Stevie and Sweet Corinna.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, January 31, 2015, Race 8Entries: Martha Washington S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Perfect Fit (FL) M. Clifton Berry 115 W. Bret Calhoun - 2 2Cape Town Stevie (KY) Emmanuel Esquivel 115 Scott D. Mullins - 3 3High Dollar Woman (KY) Joseph Rocco, Jr. 115 Anthony W. Dutrow - 4 4Indian Annie (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 119 Steven M. Asmussen - 5 5Sarah Sis (KY) Julio E. Felix 115 Ingrid Mason - 6 6Take Charge Brandi (KY) Jon Kenton Court 122 D. Wayne Lukas - 7 7Sweet Corinna (KY) Channing Hill 115 Mark E. Casse -
