Take Charge Brandi (foaled 7 February 2012) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse. A descendant of the outstanding broodmare

Take Charge Lady Take Charge Lady (foaled 4 February 1999) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She was one of the leading fillies of her generation in the United States, winning 11 of her 22 races between April 2001 and November 2003, earning ove ...

, she was one of the leading juvenile fillies in North America in 2014. After winning only one of her first five races she sprang a 66/1 upset when winning the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a -mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the Un ...

and followed up with victories in the Delta Princess Stakes and the Grade I

Starlet Stakes The Starlet Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies run over a distance of one and one sixteenth miles ( furlongs) on the dirt held annually in early December at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Californi ...

. After winning a listed stakes race early in 2015, a bone chip in her knee, discovered prior to her anticipated start in the

Rebel Stakes The Rebel Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held over a distance of one and one-sixteenth miles run on dirt each February at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. As of 2024, it offers a p ...

, took her out of contention for the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

. Returning to the track in August 2015, following two lackluster performances, she was retired in September, 2015.

Background

Take Charge Brandi is a chestnut filly with a broad white blaze bred in Kentucky by the Charming Syndicate. She was sired by

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway () is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcano, volcanic fissure eruption, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province active in the region during the Paleogene period. ...

who won six

Group One Group One, Group 1, Grade I or G1 is the term used for the highest level of Thoroughbred and Standardbred stakes races in many countries. In Europe, the level of races for Thoroughbred racing is determined using the Pattern races, Pattern race sys ...

races in Europe and was named

Cartier Horse of the Year The Cartier Horse of the Year is an award in European horse racing, founded in 1991, and sponsored by Cartier SA as part of the Cartier Racing Awards. The award winner is decided by points earned in group races plus the votes cast by British racin ...

in 2000. His other progeny include Ghanaati,

Footstepsinthesand Footstepsinthesand (foaled 15 February 2002) is a retired, undefeated Thoroughbred racehorse and active sire who was bred in the United Kingdom but trained during his racing career in Ireland. He won both his races as a two-year-old in 2004 and ...

Shamardal Shamardal (27 March 2002 – 16 April 2020) was an American-bred Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who competed in the United Kingdom and in France. He was the 2004 Cartier Champion Two-year-old Colt, European champion two-year-old and a doub ...

Rite of Passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of social status, status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisa ...

and

Aragorn Aragorn () is a fictional character and a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings''. Aragorn is a Ranger of the North, first introduced with the name Strider and later revealed to be the heir of Isildur, an ancient King of ...

. He was

Leading sire in North America The list below shows the leading Father, sire of Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorses in North America for each year since 1830. This is determined by the amount of prize money won by the sire's progeny during the year. It is restricted to Stallio ...

in 2009, 2010 and 2012. Take Charge Brandi's dam Charming, was the first foal of

who has also produced the Grade I winners

Take Charge Indy Take Charge Indy (foaled 27 March 2009) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. His win in the 2012 Florida Derby saw him regarded as a contender for the Triple Crown races, but an injury sustained in the Kentucky Derby ruled him out for most of ...

and

Will Take Charge Will Take Charge (foaled April 13, 2010) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the horse is best known for his wins in the 2013 Travers Stakes and Clark Handicap and for being beaten by a nose in the 2013 Bree ...

. Trained by

Todd Pletcher Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967, in Dallas, Texas) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer. He won the Eclipse Award eight times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming ( ...

Charming won on her debut at Keeneland, but sustained a serious injury at

Monmouth Park Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey, Oceanport, New Jersey, United States. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease ...

in July and was retired from racing. Take Charge Brandi is her second foal. As a

yearling Yearling may refer to: *Yearling (horse), a horse between one and two years old *''The Yearling ''The Yearling'' is a novel by American writer Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, published in March 1938. It was the main selection of the Book of the ...

Take Charge Brandi was consigned to the

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for ...

September sale, where she was bought for $435,000 by Willis Horton. The filly was sent into training with the veteran

D. Wayne Lukas Darrell Wayne Lukas (born September 2, 1935, in Antigo, Wisconsin) is a retired American horse trainer and a U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee. He has won twenty Breeders' Cup races, received five Eclipse Awards for his accomplishments, and his h ...

Racing career

2014: two-year-old season

Take Charge Brandi made her racecourse debut in a

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

over four and a half

furlongs A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains, or approximately 201 metres. It is no ...

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States that hosts the annual Kentucky Derby. It opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was prominent in Kentucky for many years. The first ...

on June 22. Ridden by

Corey Lanerie Corey James Lanerie (born November 13, 1974) is an American jockey who competes in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Based in Kentucky, he has won 19 jockey titles at Churchill Downs and has won meets at Ellis Park, Lone Star Park, Sam Housto ...

she took the lead soon after the start and drew away in the closing stages to win "very easily" by two and a half lengths from Conquest Archangel. Four weeks later, the filly was moved up in class and distance for the Grade III

Schuylerville Stakes The Schuylerville Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to two-year-old fillies, it is contested at a distance of six furlongs on dirt. A Listed event, it curren ...

over six furlongs at

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

and finished second to the odds-on favorite Fashion Alert. Take Charge Brandi was unplaced in her next three races. She finished fifth to Cavorting in the

Adirondack Stakes The Adirondack Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1901. Held in the middle of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Adirondack Stakes is open to two-year-old fillies willing to race six and a ...

at Saratoga, fifth again behind Cristina's Journey in the

Pocahontas Stakes The Pocahontas Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for two-year-old fillies over a distance of one mile on the dirt scheduled annually in September at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. History The race was first held on ...

at Churchill Downs and eighth behind the British-trained Peace And War in the Grade I

Alcibiades Stakes The Alcibiades Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in early October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A Grade I race, it is open to two-year-old fillies willing to race one and one-sixteenth miles on the di ...

at Keeneland. Take Charge Brandi was then sent to California to contest the thirty-first running of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies over one and one sixteenth of a mile at

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious race ...

on November 1. Ridden for the first time by

Victor Espinoza Victor Espinoza (born May 23, 1972) is a Mexican jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing who won the Triple Crown in 2015 on American Pharoah. He began riding in his native Mexico and went on to compete at racetracks in California. He has ...

she started the 66/1 outsider of the twelve runner field. The Chandelier Stakes winner Angela Renee started as the favorite ahead of Conquest Eclipse, Puca, Cristina's Journey and Top Decile. Espinoza sent his mount into the lead soon after the start and set the pace from By The Moon, Feathered and Hennythelovepenny. She maintained her advantage into the straight with Feathered, Wonder Gal and Danette as her closest pursuers and many of the more fancied fillies beginning to struggle. Espinoza never had to resort to using his whip as Take Charge Brandi kept on in the closing stages to win by half a length from the fast-finishing Top Decile, with Wonder Gal, Feathered and Danette close behind in third, fourth and fifth. After the race Espinoza said "Wayne just told me to let her run and I did that. I hit her once and she didn't seem to like it, so I didn't hit her anymore and I just let her do her thing." Lukas commented "I thought she had a great week, and today I thought we could be a factor, not that we would win it, but that we would do very well. This is the most exciting one yet". Three weeks after her Breeders' Cup, Take Charge Brandi started the 2.2/1 favorite under top weight of 122 pounds for the Grade III Delta Princess Stakes at

Delta Downs Delta Downs Racetrack, Casino and Hotel is an American thoroughbred and quarter horse racetrack in Calcasieu Parish, near Vinton, Louisiana in the southwest portion of the state. The facility is owned by Boyd Gaming. History The track open ...

. Ridden for the first time by Paco Lopez, the favorite tracked the early leader Vivian Da Bling before gaining the advantage on the final turn. In the stretch she held off the challenge of Skipalute to win by one and a half lengths, with Majestic Presence a length away in third. Lukas said that the winner "showed her class today because I didn't think she handled the track very well". On December 13, she returned to California to contest the

Grade I In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...

, held for the first time at

Los Alamitos Race Course Los Alamitos Race Course is a horse racing track in Cypress, California. The track hosts both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing. The track has the distinction of holding four quarter horse stakes races with purses over $1 million, more than ...

. With Espinoza back in the irons, she went off as the favorite. Leading wire to wire, but strongly challenged in the stretch, she defeated the Todd Pletcher-trained Feathered by half a length as well as third-place finisher Maybellene and familiar rival Majestic Presence in fourth. Espinoza said, "...It seemed like when she felt them coming, she dug in and wasn't going to let them by." Lukas explained that the dramatic improvement from her lackluster summer performances was because "we decided just to leave her alone and let her run her race."

2015: three-year-old season

Take Charge Brandi made her three-year-old debut with a close victory over Sarah Sis in

Oaklawn Park Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, formerly Oaklawn Park Race Track, is an American thoroughbred racetrack and casino in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It is the home to "The Racing Festival of the South", a four-day series of races that concludes with the ...

Martha Washington Stakes The Martha Washington Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Oaklawn Park Race Track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Open to three-year-old fillies, it is contested on dirt over a distance of 1 1/16 mile. It is now run in late Jan ...

. It was then decided by Take Charge Brandi's connections to try running her against males in the March 14th

in the hopes of possibly competing in the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

instead of the

, but five days before the Rebel she was discovered to have a non-displaced bone chip in her right knee. The injury was expected to sideline the horse for two months, taking her out of Derby and Oaks contention. The filly eventually returned in the

Test Stakes The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influentia ...

on August 8. Ridden by

Luis Saez Luis Saez (born May 19, 1992) is a Panamanian jockey in American Thoroughbred horse racing. Saez rode Maximum Security to finish first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby but was subsequently disqualified due to interference. The two later won the world's ...

, she led the field into the straight before tiring in the closing stages and was eased down to finish last of the ten runners behind Cavorting. Following the September 19

Cotillion Stakes The Cotillion Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Parx Racing and Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. It is run in late September or early October as a prelude to the annual Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships. ...

, where she was eased and did not finish, her connections announced her retirement on September 28. On November 3, Take Charge Brandi was sold for $6 million at the Keeneland breeding stock sale to Hill 'n' Dale Farm.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2012 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Thoroughbred family 22-c Eclipse Award winners Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winners