Will Take It shows fondness for one-turn-mile races with Hanshin triumph
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Will Take It thunders along like a two-turn horse who would enjoy nine- or 10-furlong racing. Turns out he might best suit one-turn miles. Trainer Dallas Stewart turned Will Take It back to a one-turn mile in a May 22 Churchill Downs allowance race and got a win out of the colt, and he got another Sunday when Will Take It turned back Banishing and won the $250,000 Hanshin Stakes, another Churchill mile contested around a single bend.
Banishing, who volleyed for the early, then dropped off the pace during the early stages, made one last run at the winner but fell a neck short in a game defeat. Extra Anejo got a good inside stalking trip and looked poised to rally up the fence and on to victory, but he flattened out slightly and finished third, 1 1/4 lengths behind Banishing.
Saudi Crown, the 3-2 favorite and a habitual front-runner, was held a couple lengths off the pace, made a brief mild bid, but quickly ran out of gas and finished seventh, beating only 65-1 shot Best Actor.
Brian Hernandez gave Will Take It an excellent ride, though having a very live horse beneath them can help make jockeys look good. While Will Take It paid $26.36, Hernandez said he and Stewart expected a competitive Hanshin showing. Shorter distances and one less turn might have propelled Will Take It to peak performance level, but the horse, Hernandez said, has been on a steady arc of improvement since Stewart took over training this past winter.
“He just kind of tinkered with him, found out what made him tick, and you can see on the form what he’s done since then,” Hernandez said. “He’s a fun little horse, now we’ve figured him out and what he wants to do.”
While Banishing, Best Actor, and Saudi Crown jabbed on the front end, Hernandez snugged Will Take It into sixth through the chute at the head of the homestretch and down toward the half-mile pole. Racing in traffic, Will Take It always traveled smoothly and with confidence and, after hitting the quarter pole while gaining steam, Hernandez steered right and hit a hole between Saudi Crown toward the inside and Cagliostro on the outside. Will Take It gained steadily on the leaders, hit the front just inside the eighth pole and holding firm after Banishing, the last horse Will Take It passed, attempted to get back on terms.
Will Take It was timed in 1:34.10 over a fast track. His fifth win from 17 starts marked his first in a stakes race, and Will Take It has gone 6-4-2-0 since Stewart began training him for Willis Horton and breeder Whisper Hill Farm. Will Take It is a 4-year-old son of Tapit and the War Front mare Lady Take Charge. He’s gotten good for Stewart and Hernandez and never has been better.
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