Bernietakescharge scores upset in Heavenly Prize
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Bernietakescharge repelled the quarter-pole challenge of odds-on favorite Weigh the Risks before drawing away for a 6 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $145,500 Heavenly Prize Stakes at Aqueduct, capping a super two-week period for her human and equine connections.
The victory by Bernietakescharge ($37.00) came two weeks after her younger half-sister, Bernieandtherose, won the East View Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies. Both horses are owned and bred by Bob Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein and trained by Dominick Schettino. These same connections campaigned Bernietakescharge's dam, Berning Rose, a stakes-winning filly in her own right.
“It’s great for Bob Rosenthal, his family. I trained all the siblings,” Schettino said. “It’s a special feeling.”
There was also a feeling of vindication for Schettino, who chose to run Bernietakescharge in the Heavenly Prize rather than Sunday’s $125,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-breds. Schettino said he preferred the mile distance and the five-horse field of the Heavenly Prize over the seven furlongs and the 11 horses entered in the Broadway.
Bernietakescharge used front-running tactics to win two of her last three starts, including a nose upset of an open company first-level allowance race at 16-1 on Jan. 11. Saturday, under Romero Maragh, Bernietakescharge was dueling inside of Aussie Girl, a horse trying dirt for the first time in her 18th career start, through a half-mile in 46.36 seconds. After Aussie Girl began to retreat, Weigh the Risks, the 2-5 favorite, loomed to the outside of Bernietakescharge, coming to her neck approaching the quarter pole. But Bernietakescharge ran away from Weigh the Risks in the upper stretch as she galloped to a convincing score.
“When she gets to the quarter pole, if she’s still in front, a lot of times she’ll kick away, she continues to go forward,” Schettino said. “I saw the half-mile [time], maybe the favorite’s going to come, but at the quarter pole, I saw the jock on the favorite start to work on her and I saw my filly just taking a little breather. I knew we had a good shot when we turned for home.”
Maragh said Bernietakescharge gives her “honest, best effort” when she’s racing on the lead.
“When it comes to her, it pushes her even more and that was the game plan to establish the lead early,” Maragh said.
Bernietakescharge, a 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy, covered the mile in 1:38.23. Weigh the Risks, ridden by Manuel Franco, finished second by five lengths over Kid’s Last Laugh. Aussie Girl finished fourth, followed by Bon Adieu. Catchphrase and Patricia Ann scratched.
Franco said his filly was in hand when she was making her move, but she couldn’t keep up when Bernietakescharge turned for home.
“When I got to the quarter pole, I was worried because the horse on the lead looked confortable,” Franco said. “At the same time, I thought my filly was going to give me a little bit more, but she just could not make up any ground.”
Options for Bernietakescharge's next race include the $125,000 Biogio’s Rose for New York-breds going a mile on April 6 or the $150,000 Top Flight at 1 1/8 miles on April 12.
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