Taylor's Spirit fresh for Take Charge Brandi

Taylor’s Spirit won three stakes last year at 2 and on Friday night will attempt to carry her success into the new year in the $75,000 Take Charge Brandi Stakes at Delta Downs.

“She’s coming into the race real good,” said trainer Scott Gelner.

The Take Charge Brandi is a 7 1/2-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies. It will share a card with the $75,000 Orleans.

Taylor’s Spirit is the most accomplished member of the eight-horse Take Charge Brandi, a race named for the champion who won the Delta Downs Princess in 2014. Her rivals include Cover Charge, who has placed in three stakes; Merada, an allowance winner at Remington Park; Sunset Wish, who comes off an allowance win at Fair Grounds; and Varlebena, who has started her career 2 for 2.

Taylor’s Spirit won 4 of 5 starts last year, including the $65,000 Prairie Gold Lassie at six furlongs on July 20 at Prairie Meadows; the $60,000 Happy Ticket at a mile on turf Sept. 2 at Louisiana Downs; and the $50,000 My Trusty Cat, a seven-furlong race around two turns Oct. 19 at Delta.

“So far she’s handled everything we’ve thrown at her,” said Gelner, who trains Taylor’s Spirit for Mark Norman and Norman Stables.

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Taylor’s Spirit, by Algorithms and from the female family of inaugural Delta Downs Jackpot winner Outta Here, was an $80,000 purchase at a 2-year-olds in training auction put on by the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company in April.

“Her breeding was real nice and she was a very pretty mover on the track,” Gelner said. “The work was just easy for her. It looked like it was slower than what it was. We looked at the time, and said, ‘Wow! She’s really moving.’”

Taylor’s Spirit has earned $125,480. The versatile filly will be looking for her second straight win at Delta after rolling by 6 1/4 lengths in the My Trusty Cat, her final start of 2018.

“It was a nice, easy win for her,” said Gelner. “There’s more options out there going two turns than sprinting, and we hope she maintains her two-turn form. If she does good here, we’re hoping to run her at Oaklawn in the Martha Washington.”

Tommy Pompell has the mount on the front-runner from post 2.

Sunset Wish is moving back to the main track after winning on turf in a Fair Grounds allowance at about at a mile on Dec. 2. One start prior, she won a maiden special weight at a mile at Penn National. Sunset Wish is from the female family of champion Bernardini. Tim Thornton has the mount for Godolphin Stable and trainer Michael Stidham.

The Orleans is a five-furlong race for fillies and mares and Shes Our Fastest will start for the same connections as Taylor’s Spirit. Shes Our Fastest won a sprint stakes at Evangeline Downs and is coming off a ninth-place finish in the $100,000 Dogwood on Sept. 22 at Churchill Downs.

“The last race is a throwout,” Gelner said. “She stumbled away from there and the track was real muddy and she just didn’t care for it. We gave her a break and she’s coming into the race real good.”

Fairwayngreen is another leading contender in the Orleans.