Itsmyluckycharm wins Azalea Stakes; Take Command prevails in Carry Back

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – On Friday, trainer Eddie Plesa Jr. was considering scratching his homebred Itsmyluckycharm from Saturday’s $75,000 Azalea Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Twenty-four hours later, he and his wife, Laurie, who owns the 3-year-old daughter of Itsmyluckyday, were celebrating yet another stakes victory by the versatile filly following her popular three-quarter-length triumph over Calinas Song in the seven-furlong Azalea.

“The post position was a concern. I have her nominated to a turf stakes here next Saturday, and she’s in the horses-of-racing-age sale coming up in Lexington,” said Eddie Plesa, who also bred Itsmyluckycharm. “But when we got the rain, I knew she kind of likes that kind of racetrack, and I also figured if I ran her in the stakes next week, we probably couldn’t get her to Lexington in time for the sale. So, in the end, I decided to roll the dice, keep her in today, and it worked out well.”

Itsmyluckycharm saved ground while rating about six lengths off the pace of Lovesick in the run down the backstretch, angled out to the middle of the track while commencing her bid in early stretch, then readily wore down Calinas Song to be edging away at the end.

Calinas Song moved strongly outside the leaders to challenge leaving the turn, held a short advantage through midstretch, but proved no match for the winner. Dizzy rallied belatedly to finish third.

Itsmyluckycharm has crossed the finish line first in seven of her last eight starts. She was disqualified and placed 10th for causing interference following an apparent victory over the turf April 14.

Itsmyluckycharm completed seven furlongs over a “good” track in 1:24.85. She returned $5.20.

“She’s a filly who won’t be denied,” said Plesa, who was not in attendance for the race. “She just does what she has to do to win. I’ll talk it over with Laurie at dinner tonight and decide what to do next. She’s in the sale, and I just had a phone call now from somebody who wants to buy her privately. And as a trainer who bred the horse yourself, it’s hard not to sell. That’s what I’m in the business for.”

Like Plesa, trainer Terri Pompay was not on hand Saturday to watch her 3-year-old Take Command rally to an impressive four-length victory over the pacesetting Jackson in the $75,000 Carry Back. Well Defined, the even-money favorite, finished a tiring fifth while making his first start since the Tampa Bay Derby.

Pompay, who is on a family vacation, said she watched Take Command win the seven-furlong Carry Back from a restaurant in North Carolina.

“Watching the race on TV, we couldn’t even see him in the picture the first part of it, and I was just hoping he would close and run a little bit because I had told the owners how well this horse had been training,” Pompay said by phone.

Take Command, who had finished off the board in all three previous stakes tries, raced near the rear of the eight-horse field for the opening half-mile, made a strong move out near the middle of the track approaching the stretch, readily ran by the tiring Jackson approaching the furlong marker and drew off with complete authority. Jackson held on to finish second, three parts of a length in front of Union’s Destiny.

Take Command, a son of Field Commission, is owned by Tropic Lightning Racing LLC and was ridden by Miguel Vasquez. He negotiated the distance in 1:23.54 and paid $37.80.

“I was a little worried when it rained this morning and we had to deal with a sloppy situation,” said Pompay. “But he was training really well, and I expected him to run well. There aren’t a lot of opportunities for him coming up down there, so we’ll probably just freshen him and see what comes up.”