Will Take Charge reigns supreme in Pennsylvania Derby

Willis D. Horton's Will Take Charge continued to build upon his upset win in

the Travers Stakes, easily proving best in Saturday's $1 million

Pennsylvania Derby, and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained colt established himself

as a top contender for champion three-year-old honors in the process. Luis Saez

guided the improving son of Unbridled's Song, who completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:49

1/5 on the fast Parx Racing track.

Will Take Charge left the starting gate as the 2-1 favorite among eight

rivals in the Grade 2 event and settled into a good trip outside of horses in

fifth, racing within five lengths of fractions in :23 1/5, :46 3/5 and 1:10 2/5.

Moreno, who was caught in the final strides when finishing a nose second in the

Travers, showed the way on a short lead with Fury Kapcori tracking in second.

Speak Logistics and Romansh were also up close to the early action.

Battier launched an eye-catching move into contention on the far turn as Will

Take Charge bided his time through the bend, but Saez suddenly found himself

with no where to go, behind a wall of horses entering the stretch. The jockey

adroitly navigated his mount to the inside for clear sailing and the response

was immediate.

The well-bred colt rebounded with a 28-1 upset in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes in

mid-March and then trained up to the Kentucky Derby. He launched a bid from off

the pace over the sloppy track at Churchill Downs but was stopped in midstretch

when a tiring Verrazano drifted out into his path, winding up eighth in the

first leg of the Triple Crown. Will Take Charge continued on along the trail but

was never a factor finishing seventh in the Preakness and 10th in the Belmont

Stakes.

After a well-deserved freshening, Will Take Charge returned to action with a

fast-closing second in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 27, only a length back of

Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice. He defeated that same rival, as well as

highly-regarded opponents Orb and Verrazano, in the August 24 Travers, earning

his first Grade 1 tally.

Moreno's trainer, Eric Guillot, accused Saez of using an illegal device during the Travers,

a charge vehemently denied by both Saez and Lukas, and the matter is

still being investigated, according to officials with the New York State Gaming

Commission.