If all goes as planned, the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 8 will feature a rematch between the top two finishers in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) in Mucho Macho Man and Will Take Charge .
Racing Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas told Santa Anita Park officials Feb. 17 that champion 3-year-old Will Take Charge will be pointed to the $750,000 Santa Anita Handicap, where he also is expected to face multiple grade I winner Game On Dude, who won the Santa Anita Handicap for the second time last year.
"We're coming," Lukas told officials at the Arcadia, Calif. track.
Willis Horton and Three Chimneys' Farm's Will Take Charge opened his 4-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish to Lea in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) Feb. 9 at Gulfstream Park. That effort was Will Take Charge's first start since winning the Clark Handicap (gr. I) Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs.
Will Take Charge, by Unbridled's Song—Take Charge Lady, by Dehere, finished just a nose behind Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Mucho Macho Man, 14-length winner of the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream on Jan. 18, committed to Santa Anita's signature race for older horses on Saturday, Feb. 15 when trainer Kathy Ritvo and Finn Green, racing manager for owners Dean and Patti Reeves, announced they would be coming to Santa Anita for the Big 'Cap.
Pending flight arrangements, Lukas hopes to ship Will Take Charge to California on March 3 or 4. Mucho Macho Man is scheduled to work Feb. 22 in Florida and ship to California the following day.