Three champions put on workout show

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – It was champions on parade Thursday morning at Saratoga as three Eclipse Award-winning females from 2014 put in workouts here in preparation for stakes engagements.

Shortly after 5:30 a.m., Take Charge Brandi, last year’s 2-year-old filly champion, worked five furlongs in 1:02.49 on the Oklahoma training track in preparation for the Grade 1 Test on Aug. 8. About 40 minutes later, Untapable, last year’s 3-year-old filly champion, worked five furlongs in 1:01.75. She is likely to make her next start in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on Aug. 29.

Later in the morning, Judy the Beauty, the reigning champion female sprinter, worked five furlongs in 1:01.90 in preparation for next Wednesday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap.

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Judy the Beauty has not raced at Saratoga since 2012, when she was beaten a nose by Emma’s Encore in the Grade 1 Prioress. Trainer Wesley Ward said he plans to run her in the Honorable Miss and the Grade 1 Ballerina on Aug. 29 as a prelude to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Judy the Beauty has raced only once this year, a neck loss to Dame Dorothy in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill on Kentucky Derby Day.

In Thursday’s work, Judy the Beauty started a few lengths behind two stablemates, joined them three wide at the quarter pole, then finished in 24.84 seconds while passing her workmates.

“She had been breezing great in Kentucky and had a real big work last week, so I was just looking for kind of a leg-stretcher today, let her get a feel of the track,” said Ward, who also owns Judy the Beauty. “She’s kind of a funny filly. I know there are certain tracks she likes and certain tracks she doesn’t. Churchill she really doesn’t care for. Aqueduct’s her favorite.”

And Saratoga?

“She really likes the track,” Ward said. “She worked 57 and change over the track [the] year before last here. She’s happy here as well.”

Joel Rosario was aboard Judy the Beauty for the work and will ride her in the Honorable Miss, replacing Mike Smith. Rosario rode Judy the Beauty in the 2012 Prioress.

Take Charge Brandi is working her way back from having a chip removed from her right knee in the spring. Thursday’s move was her fourth and was done in company with Hillbilly Style, who started five lengths in front. Take Charge Brandi, with Luis Saez up, caught up to her workmate after three furlongs in 37 seconds flat and then got her final quarter in 25.49.

“I thought it was a real nice maintenance work,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “She came home nicely. We’ll have a couple more before we run. We’ll let her run a little bit more the next time. I wanted her to get off slow and finish today, and [Saez] did a nice job.”

Victor Espinoza, who has ridden Take Charge Brandi in both of her Grade 1 victories, might come to ride, Lukas said.

Untapable, second in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps last out, worked five furlongs in 1:01.75 in company with Gold Hawk. Untapable went off in 25.06 seconds and got her final three furlongs in 36.69.

Though happy with the work, trainer Steve Asmussen said he is likely to skip the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap on Aug. 2 and just train Untapable up to the Personal Ensign.

“Her target at Saratoga is the Personal Ensign,” Asmussen said. “There’s an outside chance she would run in the Shuvee. I’m just very happy with the condition that she’s in, and I expect her to have a big second half of the year, with the Breeders’ Cup [Distaff] her major target.”