Charge It ends seven-month layoff with solid triumph

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Charge It’s much anticipated comeback was an unequivocal success Sunday at Gulfstream Park, where he took a measured 1 1/2-length victory over Vittorio in the afternoon’s $87,000 allowance feature run under light showers over a racetrack upgraded from sloppy earlier in the day to good at post time.

Charge It was making his first start since a sensational 23-length triumph in the Grade 3 Dwyer at Belmont Park on July 2. His return was precipitated when he grabbed a quarter during the running of that race and was further delayed due to complications from that injury. Charge It returned to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn late last fall and had five published works at the Palm Beach Downs training center prior to finally getting back to the races on Sunday.

With jockey Luis Saez aboard, Charge It got hung four wide in the short run to the first turn, then settled in perfect striking position while kept wide down the backstretch. Charge It readily overtook the pacesetting Laughing Boy approaching the three-furlong marker, quickly opened a comfortable advantage, then easily held safe a mild rally from Vittorio while not being asked for his best to the wire.

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Charge It, a 4-year-old homebred son of Tapit owned by Whisper Hills Farm, completed the distance in 1:41.96 seconds and paid $2.40 for his third win in six career starts. The victory was the fourth on the day for Saez.

“You never take anything for granted in this game," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "The horse was training super. We felt like we had him ready off the layoff. He was stalking some pretty nice fractions and did it nicely. The horse that finished second had some pretty good form, too. It was what we were hoping to see.”

Pletcher said he had thought about bringing Charge It back last week on the Pegasus undercard in the Fred Hooper Stakes before settling on Sunday’s headliner for his return.

“We thought about the Hooper, but felt like he needed one more good work into him, this option was there, and the way he was training we didn’t want to wait for the next one, which was the Gulfstream Park Mile (March 4),” Pletcher explained. “I was a little concerned with the rain earlier, although we never considered not running him and I thought the track was in excellent condition for his race. It was as good as we could have hoped for this morning.”

Pletcher said he is uncertain what will be next for Charge It.

“Our big goals for the summer are the Met Mile and Whitney and all options are open at the moment between now and then,” Pletcher said.

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