Breeders' Cup: Take Charge Indy hopes to make cut for Juvenile

Less than a week before pre-entries are made for the Breeders’ Cup, trainer Pat Byrne is playing the waiting game, wondering if his promising 2-year-old Take Charge Indy can gain entry into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Although uncertain of making the race if it is oversubscribed as is typically the case from year to year, the chances of his horse making the field appear better this week than last.

With Hopeful winner Currency Swap missing the race due to an ankle chip and Arlington-Washington Futurity winner Shared Property being pointed to alternative races, at least two horses in front of him in the selection pecking order have opened the door for him to gain entry.
His chances could further improve if Majestic City, the Breeders’ Futurity runner-up, goes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Majestic City’s trainer, Peter Miller, said his horse would be cross-entered in both the Juvenile and Juvenile Turf, with the Juvenile Turf being first preference, provided the horse works well on the grass in a drill scheduled for Saturday.

Although Take Charge Indy has only 2 Breeders’ Cup points – by virtue of a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity – a recent fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity could carry weight with the selection committee.

Take Charge Indy, a son of A.P. Indy out of three-time Grade 1 winner Take Charge Lady, is scheduled to breeze Friday at Churchill Downs, Byrne said.

A determination on which race Dullahan, winner of the Breeders’ Futurity, will compete – either the Juvenile of the Juvenile Turf – has not been made, though trainer Dale Romans said he is leaning toward the Juvenile.

“I would like to run on dirt, if he works like I think he will” this weekend, he said.

Joining the list of potential Juvenile entries this week is Fort Loudon, who swept the three-race Florida Stallion series for males at Calder, capped by the 1 1/16-mile In Reality on Oct. 15.