Brill, Take These Chains battle in Megahertz

ARCADIA, Calif. – Even though she is a 4-year-old, Brill is essentially at the start of her career. She won the Lady of Shamrock Stakes on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita in her turf debut, leaving owner Larry Best and trainer Don Chatlos enthusiastic about her prospects for 2020.

Take These Chains is a 7-year-old nearing the end of her time at the racetrack. Take These Chains was second in the My Charmer Stakes at Gulfstream Park in December and is likely to be retired and bred in coming months.

Brill and Take These Chains are part of a field of eight in Monday’s $100,000 Megahertz Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita. A win by either in the Grade 3 Megahertz would be her first in a graded stakes.

Brill led throughout the Lady of Shamrock Stakes under jockey Mike Smith to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

“We’ve always thought she could handle the grass,” Chatlos said. “Mikey controlled the pace. She gave him a nice kick.”

In the Megahertz, Brill will probably be in front again, closely followed by La Sardane and Take These Chains, who appears most effective when racing from a stalking position. Chatlos is quick to acknowledge this is a more difficult assignment for Brill, who was purchased for $1 million as a yearling.

“Hopefully, she can move forward,” he said.

Ben Colebrook is the fourth trainer of Take These Chains, a four-time winner in 10 starts. In the My Charmer Stakes, Take These Chains was within a head of pacesetter and 2-5 favorite Mitchell Road before finishing second to her by 1 1/2 lengths.

“She got right to her and Mitchell Road kicked on,” Colebrook said. “I thought that was a good race.

“With all likelihood, this will be her last race. The owners are breeders. She may be off to the breeding shed after this.”

Owned by Eurowest Bloodstock Services and John Gunther, Take These Chains was fourth in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes here last February when trained by Brad Cox.

Carressa runs in a stakes and on turf for the first time in the Megahertz after a stylish win in an allowance race at Del Mar in November. Carressa, a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, won by 8 1/4 lengths for her second win in three starts after a four-month layoff.

Keeper Ofthe Stars won the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies in October and was second in the Lady of Shamrock.

La Sardane, a two-time stakes winner in 2018, will have her third start after a six-month layoff. The Megahertz will be the graded stakes debut of Super Patriot, who was beaten a nose in the restricted Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar in November.

The Megahertz is the seventh of eight races on Monday’s card.