Belmont Derby summer goal for Takeover Target

ELMONT, N.Y. – Coming off an eye-catching allowance victory here on Thursday, the 3-year-old turf horse Takeover Target likely will be put on a path to the $1.25 million Belmont Derby in July.

Trainer Chad Brown said Takeover Target likely will make his next start in the $200,000 Pennine Ridge Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile race here May 30.

Takeover Target, a son of Harlan’s Holiday owned by Seth Klarman and William Lawrence, showed an electric turn of foot while rallying from next to last at the top of the stretch to win a first-level allowance race by 1 3/4 lengths Thursday. He ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.57 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85.

He was making his first start since Oct. 26, when he won a maiden race by 3 1/4 lengths.

“Takeover Target ran terrific – he ran to his training,” Brown said. “My staff did a great job getting him ready. He had some baby stuff – no surgeries – and he needed time. He had a nice series of works at Palm Meadows, and we were quietly confident he was going to go out there and run a big one, and he did.”

Brown said he believes Takeover Target is a distance horse, which is why the trainer prefers the Pennine Ridge to the Grade 3, $500,000 Penn Mile on May 30.

“The longer, the better for him,” Brown said. “One race a time, but obviously the [Belmont Derby] would be a dream if we could get to that. I believe this horse will stay a mile and a quarter.”

Meanwhile, Brown said that Bobby’s Kitten, last year’s Penn Mile and Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner, had his first day galloping at Saratoga on Friday. He only recently rejoined Brown’s barn at the Keeneland meeting after being off since last fall due to bone bruising.

“He came back to me in terrific shape,” Brown said. “Hopefully, we’ll have him back racing during the Saratoga meet.”