Take Charge Tom to race in Canada
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Take Charge Tom, a three-time stakes winner who is coming off a third-place finish in the $300,000 Texas Derby at Lone Star Park, is headed to Canada.
Trainer Robertino Diodoro said the 3-year-old is scheduled to run next in the $50,000 Derby Trial at a mile on July 14 at Assiniboia Downs. The goal is for Take Charge Tom to run in the Western Canadian Derby series that begins with the $125,000 Manitoba Derby on Aug. 4 at Assiniboia.
From there, the series continues with the $200,000 Canadian Derby on Aug. 23 at Century Mile and the $125,000 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 13 at Hastings.
Diodoro sent out Sky Promise to sweep the three races in 2018, and the horse earned the Sovereign Award as Canada’s champion 3-year-old male.
Take Charge Tom is a son of Tom’s d’Etat who races for his breeder, Randy Howg. Earlier this year, he won the Mine That Bird Derby and Riley Allison Derby, both at Sunland Park.
Diodoro said Take Charge Tom would travel to Canada with a group of horses he is sending to Iowa for festival stakes at Prairie Meadows in early July. Itsmybirthday is targeting the Iowa Derby, Heroic Move runs next in the Cornhusker, and Redline is set for the Iowa Sprint.
“Take Charge Tom’s going to go on the same load as the Iowa horses, same direction,” Diodoro said.
Take Charge Tom has been working at Lone Star, which races through July 13.
Diodoro said following the Lone Star meet, the division of horses he has in Texas will ship to Remington Park in Oklahoma City. That meet opens in early August.
He also will be taking 12 horses to Del Mar. He last had horses based at the Southern California track in 2023.
“I’ve always liked it there,” he said.
Diodoro said the “Ship and Win” program, which offers bonuses to starters who last ran out of state, was one reason to go to Del Mar. The other was at the request of some of his owners who “have places out there in the summer and like going out there.”
Del Mar’s summer meet opens July 18.
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