Took Charge returns from layoff in compact allowance field

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Eight months after winning his career debut at Belmont Park, Took Charge makes his second start in a first-level allowance that goes as the opener on Sunday’s eight-race Aqueduct card.

Took Charge, a son of Take Charge Indy, won a five-furlong maiden race on June 14 at Belmont Park. While he beat only three horses, one was Three Technique, a horse who since has come back to win twice and who most recently was second in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

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Took Charge, trained by Chris Englehart, worked once at Saratoga following his maiden win but was sidelined with an ankle injury that required surgery.

Took Charge recuperated at the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland, where he worked three times before returning to Englehart at Belmont. He has four workouts over the Belmont training track since late January.

In his debut, going five furlongs, Took Charge showed good speed and scored a 1 1/2-length victory over Three Technique. Took Charge earned a solid 80 Beyer Speed Figure for that debut.

“I was really impressed with the way he dug in,” Englehart said. “He had things his own way the first part of it, but he got a good number and finished up really fast. We’re hopeful he’s going to develop into a nice colt.”

Though Junior Alvarado was named to ride, he will be at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. Englehart said Jose Lezcano will ride Took Charge, who breaks from post 2 in a five-horse field.

Money Ride and Hopeful Treasure are both two-time winners, Polar Pete was second in this condition on Jan. 10, and Get Set won a maiden race at Parx Racing by 6 3/4 lengths on Dec. 9.