Charge It

Charge It, a well-bred 3-year-old son of Tapit homebred by Whisper Hill Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, came a neck shy of winning his debut at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 8, 2022, finishing second behind Volcanic as the 7-5 favorite. He came back for another try in a one-turn mile race on Feb. 12, and this time rolled to a 8 ½-length victory at 1-5 odds.

Pletcher ambitiously pointed Charge It to the Grade 1 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa for his next start, and the colt was supported well by bettors against a field that included the winners of the Holy Bull Stakes, the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes, and the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.

In the Florida Derby, Charge It stalked the pace and angled out under Luis Saez for a closing rally, and despite racing a bit greenly in the stretch he gamely fought hard to the finish, settling for second behind Holy Bull winner White Abarrio. In his next race in the 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, inexperience got the better of Charge It as he finished a well-beaten 17th.

Charge It returned in the Grade 3 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park on July 2, and went off as the odds-on favorite. In what would be a top career performance, Charge It lived up to the hype and more when he won the Dwyer by a stunning 23 lengths while covering a mile in 1:34.67. Unfortunately for Charge It, the Dwyer would be the final outing of his 3-year-old campaign.

Charge It made his next start at the beginning of the 2023 season in an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5, when he recorded an easy 1 /2-length win as the 1-5 favorite. He later finished second in his following start in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile on March 4, and then finished fifth when stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap on April 22. He returned to one mile in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 10, but settled for fourth.

Charge It got back into the winner's circle with a victory in the Grade 2 $350,000 Suburban Stakes on July 8 going 1 1/4 miles at Belmont Park. Sent off as the 0.65-1 favorite in a five-horse field in the Suburban, Charge It contested the early pace while in hand and then drew clear at will to draw off to a 4 3/4-length score as the easier kind of winner.

Charge It is out of the winning Indian Charlie mare I’ll Take Charge. His second dam is $2.4 million earner Take Charge Lady, a multiple Grade 1 winner who produced Grade 1 winner and champion Will Take Charge, Grade 1 Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy, and Grade 1 winner As Time Goes By. Grade 1 winner and champion Take Charge Brandi and Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach are other close relatives.