WinStar Farm has acquired the breeding rights to Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Take Charge Indy , and will stand the regally-bred colt in Kentucky following his racing career, it was announced Aug. 7.
Take Charge Indy, a 3-year-old son of A.P. Indy out of brilliant multiple grade I winner Take Charge Lady, recently resumed training with Pat Byrne for a fall campaign.
"When I looked at him I saw A.P. Indy, who is obviously one of the greatest sires of sires in the industry today," said Elliott Walden, WinStar president and CEO. "Stallion credentials don't get much stronger than being a grade I winner, by a multiple grade I winner like A.P. Indy, and out of a multiple grade I winner. We're excited about Take Charge Indy's chances of successfully carrying out the A.P. Indy line at stud."
A striking dark bay, Take Charge Indy scored his biggest win to date in the Florida Derby (gr. I) earlier this year at Gulfstream Park, where he defeated eventual Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Union Rags and other top 3-year-olds. He entered the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) as one of the leading contenders before sustaining an ankle injury that required minor surgery and about 90 days of rest.
Take Charge Indy was also a leading 2-year-old in the Midwest. After impressively winning his debut by 6 1/2 lengths at Arlington Park, he was runner-up in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) and a close fourth in Keeneland's Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I), both on Polytrack. Take Charge Indy closed out 2011 by running a troubled fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) in his first start on dirt.
"Take Charge Indy is by far the best horse I've ever trained when you combine depth of pedigree and magnitude of talent," said Byrne, who also conditioned champions Favorite Trick and Awesome Again . "At the end of the day, I believe he will be the best horse I've ever had, period.
"He looks absolutely fantastic right now, and we're thrilled to have him back at the barn," he added. "Physically, he has filled out in all the right spots, and even (jockey) Calvin (Borel) was amazed when he saw him. We're optimistic Take Charge Indy will have a strong end of the year."
Campaigned by owners Chuck and Maribeth Sandford, Take Charge Indy currently has earnings of $721,000. His dam, Take Charge Lady, by leading broodmare sire Dehere, was one of the top racemares in the country in 2002-03. She was an eight-time graded stakes winner, with three grade I victories and earnings of nearly $2.5 million.