Will Take Charge (USA)
Foaled April 13, 2010 – Living
Unbridled’s Song (USA) x Take Charge Lady (USA), by Dehere (USA)
Family 22-c
Foaled April 13, 2010 – Living
Unbridled’s Song (USA) x Take Charge Lady (USA), by Dehere (USA)
Family 22-c
Will Take Charge was a huge, rather late-developing colt who took command of the 2013 American sophomore male division during the last five months of the year. Wins in the Travers Stakes (USA-G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (USA-G2) against the best of his own division and a win over older males in the Clark Handicap (USA-G1), combined with a hard-driving second to Mucho Macho Man in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1), were enough to land an Eclipse Award in a year that lacked a clear standout emerging from the American Triple Crown series. Will Take Charge competed honorably at 4 but not quite at championship level and retired due to injury prior to the major fall races. He has been disappointing thus far at stud.
Race record
21 starts, 7 wins, 6 seconds, 1 thirds, US$3,924,648
2012:
2013:
2014:
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old male (2013)
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the 2013 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, 6 pounds below co-highweights Black Caviar and Treve and 1 pound below the best dirt performer, Mucho Macho Man, but tops among 3-year-old males on dirt.
Rated at 121 pounds on the 2014 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, 9 pounds below overall highweight Just a Way, 4 pounds below Bayern (a 3-year-old who topped all dirt performers), and 3 pounds below the best older male on dirt, Game On Dude.
As an individual
A good-bodied, strongly made chestnut horse with flashy white markings, Will Take Charge stands over 17 hands tall. He has an excellent shoulder, good bone, and powerful hindquarters. As a racer, he lacked agility but could summon a remarkable burst of speed in the closing stages of a race. He was retired to stud in September 2014 after straining a suspensory ligament.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Will Take Charge was bred by Eaton Sales. A US$425,000 yearling at the 2011 Keeneland September sale, he was owned by Willis D. Horton and was trained by D. Wayne Lukas. He was ridden to most of his major wins by Luis Saez, who scored his first Grade 1 victory aboard the colt in the Travers Stakes, At the close of Will Take Charge’s 3-year-old season, Horton sold a half interest in the colt to Kentucky’s Three Chimneys Farm, where the colt entered stud in 2015. Will Take Charge also shuttled to Haras Phillipson in Uruguay in 2020-2022. He transferred to Darley in Japan for the Northern Hemisphere season beginning in 2023.
As a stallion
Will Take Charge tends to sire a large individual that needs time to mature. His best runner to date is Peruvian champion Esidio.
Notable progeny
Esidio (USA), There Goes Harvard (USA)
Pedigree notes
Will Take Charge is inbred 3x4 to 1981 Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1) winner Fappiano. He is a half brother to 2012 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Take Charge Indy (by A.P. Indy) and to 2022 Beholder Mile Stakes (USA-G1) winner As Time Goes By (by American Pharoah). He is also a half brother to Charming (by Seeking the Gold), dam of 2014 American champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (by Giant’s Causeway; dam of listed stakes winner Courvoisier, by Tapit) and multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach (by War Front). In addition, Will Take Charge is a half brother to I'll Take Charge (by Indian Charlie), dam of 2022 Dwyer Stakes (USA-G3) winner Charge It (by Tapit).
Will Take Charge is out of 2013 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady. A multiple Grade 1 winner during her own racing days, Take Charge Lady s a half sister to multiple New York-bred stakes winner Eventail (by Lear Fan), dam of Canadian Grade 2 winner Straight Story (by Giant’s Causeway) and multiple Japanese listed stakes winner Strong Souther (by Heart’s Cry), and to Grade 3-placed listed stakes winner Commendation (by Capote).
Take Charge Lady is out of unraced Felicita (by Rubiano), a half sister to Irish hurdle stakes winner Rogerdor (by Tom Rolfe). Felicita is also a half sister to She’s Got Class (by Trempolino), dam of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (USA-G2) winner Chamberlain Bridge (by War Chant). Felicita, in turn, is out of the winner Grand Bonheur, a Blushing Groom half sister to Irish listed stakes winner God’s Mark (by Little Current) and to Star Magic (by Youth), dam of listed stakes winner Nudist Colony (by Pleasant Colony).
Books and media
The New York Racing Association’s footage of Will Take Charge winning the 2013 Travers Stakes can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0y3tNUaJ0.
Fun facts
Photo credits
Top: Portrait taken by Jessica Morgan in 2019 at Three Chimneys Farm. Used by permission.
Bottom: Photo taken by Jessica Morgan in 2011 at Keeneland September. Used by permission.
Race record
21 starts, 7 wins, 6 seconds, 1 thirds, US$3,924,648
2012:
- 2nd Remington Springboard Mile Stakes (USA-L, 8FD, Remington Park)
2013:
- Won Travers Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Pennsylvania Derby (USA-G2, 9FD, Parx Racing)
- Won Rebel Stakes (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Oaklawn Park)
- Won Smarty Jones Stakes (USA-L, 8FD, Oaklawn Park)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Jim Dandy Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Saratoga)
2014:
- Won Oaklawn Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Oaklawn Park)
- 2nd Donn Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd Santa Anita Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Stephen Foster Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Whitney Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Saratoga)
Honors
Eclipse Award, American champion 3-year-old male (2013)
Assessments
Rated at 124 pounds on the 2013 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, 6 pounds below co-highweights Black Caviar and Treve and 1 pound below the best dirt performer, Mucho Macho Man, but tops among 3-year-old males on dirt.
Rated at 121 pounds on the 2014 Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, 9 pounds below overall highweight Just a Way, 4 pounds below Bayern (a 3-year-old who topped all dirt performers), and 3 pounds below the best older male on dirt, Game On Dude.
As an individual
A good-bodied, strongly made chestnut horse with flashy white markings, Will Take Charge stands over 17 hands tall. He has an excellent shoulder, good bone, and powerful hindquarters. As a racer, he lacked agility but could summon a remarkable burst of speed in the closing stages of a race. He was retired to stud in September 2014 after straining a suspensory ligament.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Will Take Charge was bred by Eaton Sales. A US$425,000 yearling at the 2011 Keeneland September sale, he was owned by Willis D. Horton and was trained by D. Wayne Lukas. He was ridden to most of his major wins by Luis Saez, who scored his first Grade 1 victory aboard the colt in the Travers Stakes, At the close of Will Take Charge’s 3-year-old season, Horton sold a half interest in the colt to Kentucky’s Three Chimneys Farm, where the colt entered stud in 2015. Will Take Charge also shuttled to Haras Phillipson in Uruguay in 2020-2022. He transferred to Darley in Japan for the Northern Hemisphere season beginning in 2023.
As a stallion
Will Take Charge tends to sire a large individual that needs time to mature. His best runner to date is Peruvian champion Esidio.
Notable progeny
Esidio (USA), There Goes Harvard (USA)
Pedigree notes
Will Take Charge is inbred 3x4 to 1981 Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1) winner Fappiano. He is a half brother to 2012 Florida Derby (USA-G1) winner Take Charge Indy (by A.P. Indy) and to 2022 Beholder Mile Stakes (USA-G1) winner As Time Goes By (by American Pharoah). He is also a half brother to Charming (by Seeking the Gold), dam of 2014 American champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi (by Giant’s Causeway; dam of listed stakes winner Courvoisier, by Tapit) and multiple Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach (by War Front). In addition, Will Take Charge is a half brother to I'll Take Charge (by Indian Charlie), dam of 2022 Dwyer Stakes (USA-G3) winner Charge It (by Tapit).
Will Take Charge is out of 2013 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady. A multiple Grade 1 winner during her own racing days, Take Charge Lady s a half sister to multiple New York-bred stakes winner Eventail (by Lear Fan), dam of Canadian Grade 2 winner Straight Story (by Giant’s Causeway) and multiple Japanese listed stakes winner Strong Souther (by Heart’s Cry), and to Grade 3-placed listed stakes winner Commendation (by Capote).
Take Charge Lady is out of unraced Felicita (by Rubiano), a half sister to Irish hurdle stakes winner Rogerdor (by Tom Rolfe). Felicita is also a half sister to She’s Got Class (by Trempolino), dam of 2010 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (USA-G2) winner Chamberlain Bridge (by War Chant). Felicita, in turn, is out of the winner Grand Bonheur, a Blushing Groom half sister to Irish listed stakes winner God’s Mark (by Little Current) and to Star Magic (by Youth), dam of listed stakes winner Nudist Colony (by Pleasant Colony).
Books and media
The New York Racing Association’s footage of Will Take Charge winning the 2013 Travers Stakes can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f0y3tNUaJ0.
Fun facts
- Following Will Take Charge’s nose victory over Moreno in the Travers Stakes, Moreno’s trainer accused jockey Luis Saez of using an illegal electrical device on Will Take Charge to get the final burst of speed that won the race. The allegation was the subject of an extensive investigation by the New York State Gaming Commission before being dismissed as wholly unfounded.
Photo credits
Top: Portrait taken by Jessica Morgan in 2019 at Three Chimneys Farm. Used by permission.
Bottom: Photo taken by Jessica Morgan in 2011 at Keeneland September. Used by permission.
Last updated: September 13, 2023