Take Charge Indy retired due to injury, to stand at WinStar Farm
Grade 1 winner Take Charge Indy has been retired after suffering a left-front condylar fracture during the Grade 2 Monmouth Cup Stakes on Sunday at Monmouth Park, and will stand the 2014 breeding season at WinStar Farm in Versailles, Ky.
The 4-year-old son of A.P. Indy held a comfortable lead going down the backstretch in the Monmouth Cup, then was suddenly pulled up by jockey Gary Stevens and carefully piloted to the outside as the rest of the field passed by.
"I was on the lead with a big smile on my face,” Stevens said about his position prior to the injury. “He was cruising. The only question was how much would he win by.”
Take Charge Indy was vanned off the track and sent to Hogan Equine in Cream Ridge, N.J. for surgery. The 30-minute procedure was performed by Dr. Patty Hogan, VMD.
"It's unbelievable how classy this horse is," Hogan said. "The surgery went very well. He's a super patient."
Take Charge Indy retired with three wins from 14 career races for earnings of $1,103,496. His biggest wins came in last year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby and the Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes earlier this year.
Chuck and Maribeth Sandford campaigned Take Charge Indy during his racing career, and the colt was trained by Patrick Byrne. WinStar Farm acquired the breeding rights to Take Charge Indy last summer, along with an ownership interest.
Bred in Kentucky by Eaton Sales, Take Charge Indy is out of the multiple Grade 1-winning Dehere mare Take Charge Lady. She has produced four winners from five foals to race, including Will Take Charge, who finished second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes on Saturday.
"We purchased Take Charge Indy because of his gene pool,” said Elliott Walden, president and CEO of WinStar Farm. “Considering he might be the last great son of A.P. Indy, his mother winning three Grade 1s, and he being a Grade 1 winner as well, we feel he has a tremendous chance at stud. When I first went to see him, I thought I was looking at A.P. Indy himself."