Will Take Charge could win Eclipse
Nov 17, 2013 23:20:21 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Nov 17, 2013 23:20:21 GMT -5
Don't agree about Goldencents. Threw out his BC win at home on a biased track.
Will Take Charge could win Eclipse
Mike Veitch
The Saratogian
Did this year’s Travers Stakes produce the champion 3-year-old male in Will Take Charge?
His close second to the older Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a continuation of resurgent form that began at Saratoga, has many people saying he is the leader for the Eclipse Award.
His Travers victory came over a top quality field that included the winners of the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational, Wood Memorial and Jim Dandy.
Will Take Charge followed that with an authoritative score in the rich Pennsylvania Derby before his Classic effort.
While a Classic win would have sealed the title, his performance might still have been good enough to deliver the crown.
His has been a book-end season, also marked by good form last winter at Oaklawn Park, which was followed by a dreadful record in the Triple Crown series.
The combined margin of defeat for Will Take Charge in the series was more than 45 lengths.
He rebounded with a rallying second to Palace Malice in the Jim Dandy, and reeled off three more good ones in the Travers, Pennsylvania Derby and Classic.
Since formal voting for champions began in 1936, there have been 18 Travers winners who earned the division championship.
If Will Take Charge becomes the 19th, he will be only the sixth of the group to do so without a victory in any Triple Crown race.
He most resembles the first, By Jimminy in 1944, who won the crown without competing in the series, but who put together a strong second half of the season with wins in the Dwyer, Travers, American Derby and Lawrence Realization.
Buckpasser was next in 1966, and he also did not compete in the Triple Crown.
He didn’t have to.
The great Phipps runner won 13 of 14 starts that year, a phenomenal streak that included the Arlington Classic, Brooklyn Handicap, American Derby, Woodward, Lawrence Realization and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
The Realization and Gold Cup were at 1 5/8 miles and 2 miles respectively, and after the Gold Cup he dropped back to 7 furlongs to win the Malibu in a sizzling 1:22 at Santa Anita.
Travers winner Key to the Mint, in 1972, competed in the Preakness and Belmont, and earned his title with victories in the Brooklyn, Whitney, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup over older foes.
The fourth Travers champion without a Triple Crown victory was Wajima in 1972, and he did not compete in the series.
But consecutive wins in the Marylander, Monmouth Invitational, Travers, Governor and Marlboro Cup delivered the title.
Finally, there is the brilliant Holy Bull in 1994, who left the Triple Crown trail after an inexplicable failure in the Kentucky Derby as the favorite.
He returned to action in the Metropolitan Handicap with a scorching victory over a terrific field of older horses, and kept right on going with wins in the Dwyer, Haskell, Travers, and Woodward in succession.
At this writing, Will Take Charge may race one more time this year in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap against older horses on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs.
A victory will give him an important second Grade 1 win to go with the Travers and probably clinch the title.
In my view, there are three other contenders for the crown in Orb, Palice Malice and Goldencents.
Orb, now retired, won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, Grade 1 Florida Derby, and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in succession.
And that was it.
He subsequently lost the Preakness, Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Orb was a dismal last in the Gold Cup.
Orb finished ahead of Will Take Charge in the Triple Crown series, and behind him in the Travers.
Palace Malice finished behind Will Take Charge in the Derby and Travers, ahead of him in the Belmont and Jim Dandy, and behind him in the Classic.
Like that rival, he has a single Grade 1 win, coming in the Belmont Stakes.
Goldencents is a fascinating contender.
As with Will Take Charge, his Triple Crown performances are forgettable, finishing an eased 17th in the Derby and a tired fifth in the Preakness.
However, his devastating victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile was, for me, the single best performance on Cup weekend.
Goldencents also won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby earlier this year, and if he captures the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 30, he will have three Grade 1 scores, two of which are over older horses.’
No other sophomore contender will have that on his record if he wins the Cigar Mile.
So stay tuned racing fans, the season has plenty of excitement left
Will Take Charge could win Eclipse
Mike Veitch
The Saratogian
Did this year’s Travers Stakes produce the champion 3-year-old male in Will Take Charge?
His close second to the older Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, a continuation of resurgent form that began at Saratoga, has many people saying he is the leader for the Eclipse Award.
His Travers victory came over a top quality field that included the winners of the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational, Wood Memorial and Jim Dandy.
Will Take Charge followed that with an authoritative score in the rich Pennsylvania Derby before his Classic effort.
While a Classic win would have sealed the title, his performance might still have been good enough to deliver the crown.
His has been a book-end season, also marked by good form last winter at Oaklawn Park, which was followed by a dreadful record in the Triple Crown series.
The combined margin of defeat for Will Take Charge in the series was more than 45 lengths.
He rebounded with a rallying second to Palace Malice in the Jim Dandy, and reeled off three more good ones in the Travers, Pennsylvania Derby and Classic.
Since formal voting for champions began in 1936, there have been 18 Travers winners who earned the division championship.
If Will Take Charge becomes the 19th, he will be only the sixth of the group to do so without a victory in any Triple Crown race.
He most resembles the first, By Jimminy in 1944, who won the crown without competing in the series, but who put together a strong second half of the season with wins in the Dwyer, Travers, American Derby and Lawrence Realization.
Buckpasser was next in 1966, and he also did not compete in the Triple Crown.
He didn’t have to.
The great Phipps runner won 13 of 14 starts that year, a phenomenal streak that included the Arlington Classic, Brooklyn Handicap, American Derby, Woodward, Lawrence Realization and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
The Realization and Gold Cup were at 1 5/8 miles and 2 miles respectively, and after the Gold Cup he dropped back to 7 furlongs to win the Malibu in a sizzling 1:22 at Santa Anita.
Travers winner Key to the Mint, in 1972, competed in the Preakness and Belmont, and earned his title with victories in the Brooklyn, Whitney, Woodward and Jockey Club Gold Cup over older foes.
The fourth Travers champion without a Triple Crown victory was Wajima in 1972, and he did not compete in the series.
But consecutive wins in the Marylander, Monmouth Invitational, Travers, Governor and Marlboro Cup delivered the title.
Finally, there is the brilliant Holy Bull in 1994, who left the Triple Crown trail after an inexplicable failure in the Kentucky Derby as the favorite.
He returned to action in the Metropolitan Handicap with a scorching victory over a terrific field of older horses, and kept right on going with wins in the Dwyer, Haskell, Travers, and Woodward in succession.
At this writing, Will Take Charge may race one more time this year in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap against older horses on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs.
A victory will give him an important second Grade 1 win to go with the Travers and probably clinch the title.
In my view, there are three other contenders for the crown in Orb, Palice Malice and Goldencents.
Orb, now retired, won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, Grade 1 Florida Derby, and Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in succession.
And that was it.
He subsequently lost the Preakness, Belmont, Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup.
Orb was a dismal last in the Gold Cup.
Orb finished ahead of Will Take Charge in the Triple Crown series, and behind him in the Travers.
Palace Malice finished behind Will Take Charge in the Derby and Travers, ahead of him in the Belmont and Jim Dandy, and behind him in the Classic.
Like that rival, he has a single Grade 1 win, coming in the Belmont Stakes.
Goldencents is a fascinating contender.
As with Will Take Charge, his Triple Crown performances are forgettable, finishing an eased 17th in the Derby and a tired fifth in the Preakness.
However, his devastating victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile was, for me, the single best performance on Cup weekend.
Goldencents also won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby earlier this year, and if he captures the Cigar Mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 30, he will have three Grade 1 scores, two of which are over older horses.’
No other sophomore contender will have that on his record if he wins the Cigar Mile.
So stay tuned racing fans, the season has plenty of excitement left