Javiera tries to extend Loza's hot hand in Take Charge Brandi

The undefeated Javiera will have a hot trainer in her corner Friday night when she takes on Golden Mischief and Perfect Prediction in the $50,000 Take Charge Brandi at Delta Downs.

Golden Mischief could go favored on the strength of her local win in the $100,000 My Trusty Cat in October. Perfect Prediction invades from Fair Grounds off a runner-up finish in an allowance Jan. 13.

The Take Charge Brandi, named for the champion who won the Delta Downs Princess, is a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies. It will be run around two turns on the six-furlong track in Vinton, La.

Javiera hails from the barn of trainer Efren Loza Jr., who is wintering at Delta for the first time. His barn has gone 15 for 28 (54 percent) at Delta. Javiera has contributed two wins to the cause, a maiden special weight and a second-level allowance, the latter at 6 1/2 furlongs, which is two turns at Delta.

“We made the move for the winter, moved to Delta,” Loza said. “We still have some running in south Florida, but we have more horses at Delta. We’ve had a really good meet here. I’m very happy.”

Javiera will break from post 5. Luis Negron has the mount for St. George Stable.

Stakes options for Taco in California, Florida

The success Loza is having in his first meet at Delta Downs spilled over to neighboring Sam Houston last Saturday night, when he sent out the undefeated Taco to win the $50,000 Texas Heritage Stakes. Taco is now 4 for 4, and Loza on Wednesday said the horse would be nominated for stakes at Santa Anita and Gulfstream.

Loza said Taco’s connections will look at the $75,000 Pasadena Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf March 19 at Santa Anita. Another option, he said, is the $100,000 Cutler Bay for 3-year-olds at a mile on turf April 1 at Gulfstream. Loza has a division of horses in south Florida.

Taco has won all of his races on turf, and the plan is to keep him on that surface, said Loza. He was pleased with the horse’s effort in the Texas Heritage. He won the 1 1/16-mile turf race by 1 1/2 lengths and equaled his best Beyer Speed Figure, a 76.

“It was the first time this horse ran at Sam Houston and the first time he ran at night,” said Loza. “Those were new things for the horse. He’s won four races at three different tracks.”

Taco started his career with back-to-back wins at Gulfstream before taking a turf sprint at Fair Grounds. He was making his stakes debut in the Texas Heritage.

“We want to go step by step,” said Loza, who trains the horse for Kathleen Amaya, Raffaele Centofanti, and Daniel Alonso.

Loza named Taco, who is by Gio Ponti and out of the Group 1-winning mare That’s Life, who was bred in Mexico.

“I’m from Mexico, and my father trained the mother of Taco,” Loza said. “She went 9 for 11. Over there, they just have a main track, so we never tried her on the grass. The family of this horse is grass horses. Right now, we want to keep him on the grass.”

As for the name Taco, Loza said he wanted a Mexican name for the horse with ties to Mexico.

“It’s a short name, but everybody loves tacos,” he said.