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Bernietakescharge carries on mother’s legacy for connections in $100K Franklin Square

by NYRA Press Ofiice

• Bernietakescharge carries on mother’s legacy for connections in $100K Franklin Square

• Well-bred sophomore Ambition set for debut Saturday at Aqueduct

• Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet Week 3 stakes probables

Just over five years after sending out the Freud mare Berning Rose to a victory in the state-bred Maid of the Mist at Belmont Park, trainer Domenick Schettino and owners/breeders Robert Rosenthal and Bradford Bernstein will hope to see the second generation New York homebred Bernietakescharge score her first stakes victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Franklin Square at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“Her mom showed right off the bat in her early breezes that she could really run,” said Schettino. “Bernietakescharge isn’t as mature as her mom was as a 2-year-old, but she’s starting to mature and really put it all together now.”

Bernietakescharge is the second foal produced from Berning Rose to race for her connections, joining her half-sister Berning Honor in the Schettino barn last May. The dark bay daughter of Take Charge Indy arrives at the 6 1/2-furlong sprint for state-bred sophomore fillies from a six-furlong state-bred optional claiming score here on December 14 when sporting blinkers for the first time.

There, she pounced from 1 1/2-lengths off the pace to take a head advantage at the stretch call and fend off P Mutter Pickle by three-quarter lengths. The win garnered a career-best 69 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The blinkers were on and she seemed a little more focused with them,” said Schettino. “She’s still learning. They liked the horse she beat.”

Bernietakescharge debuted on the turf with a third-place effort in a 1 1/16-mile maiden tilt on August 2 at Saratoga Race Course, but responded to a change in surface with aplomb when shorted up to one mile to score a pacesetting win in an off-the-turf route two weeks later over a fast Spa main track.

She made her stakes debut in October over fast and sealed going in the state-bred Maid of the Mist at the Big A, and finished an even fourth after being bumped heading into the stretch and finishing 4 1/4 lengths behind the victorious My Mane Squeeze, who she’ll face again in the Franklin Square.

Bernietakescharge posted her final breeze in preparation for the Franklin Square on January 2 with jockey Trevor McCarthy up, covering a half-mile in company in 51.28 seconds over the Belmont Park training track.

“Trevor worked her and we just schooled her a little bit,” said Schettino. “It was a nice work, she galloped out well.”

Schettino said he expects Bernietakescharge, who will emerge from post 7 in rein to McCarthy, will eventually be effective at a range of distances.

“I’m pretty sure she’ll carry distance further than six and a half [furlongs], it’s just that this race happened to come up that distance,” said Schettino. “I think she’ll run well in there and she’s positioned well with the post.”

Bernietakescharge boasts total purse earnings of $112,210. Her second dam, Peach Flambe, was a winner on turf and a dual stakes winner on dirt at distances of seven and nine furlongs.

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Well-bred sophomore Ambition set for debut Saturday at Aqueduct

Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds’ Kentucky homebred Ambition will make his career bow for trainer John Kimmel in Saturday’s first race, a six-furlong maiden special weight for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The bay son of Street Sense was a $475,000 RNA at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is a half-brother to Grade 2-placed Carmel Road. His dam, the multiple stakes-winning Unbridled’s Song mare Inspired, is a half-sister to Treasure, the dam of last year’s Grade 1 Preakness-winner National Treasure.

“He has been training quite well since his arrival,” said Kimmel. “He’s got a little pedigree and a decent sire, so we’ll just see how he handles these winter tracks. I think when the tracks are deep and cuppy, some of them struggle. But if it’s a tight track, I think he’ll run respectably.”

Ambition had his first breezes this summer at Churchill Downs and The Thoroughbred Center before moving north to Belmont Park in October. His recent works over the training track include a half-mile move from the gate in 47.80 seconds on New Year’s Eve, and a three-furlong breeze in 36.69 on Tuesday.

“Everybody likes him,” said Kimmel. “The riders like the way he goes, and I think he’s been handling his competition [in the mornings] well. We haven’t been sending him super hard, but I think he’s certainly fit enough for his debut.”

Ambition drew post five in the six-horse field with Kendrick Carmouche up, and has been tabbed the 5-2 morning-line second choice. While overnight showers have been forecast in South Ozone Park, Kimmel said he wouldn’t mind a wetter track.

“I think he’s ready, and I think a little moisture will guarantee the track is tight,” said Kimmel. “It looks on paper like there’s no horses that stick out, so I’m looking forward to watching.”

Kimmel added that Whisper Hill Farm’s three-time winner Winit is training well towards a return to two turns in a nine-furlong third-level allowance on January 26 at the Big A. The 5-year-old Tapit gelding was last seen finishing a hard-fought fourth when traveling one-mile on December 28 here after going head-to-head for the early lead with Kinetic Sky and fading late to be defeated 1 3/4 lengths.

“He’s been doing very well,” said Kimmel. “He did all the dirty work the other day and we’re going to try a mile and an eighth on the 26th. His last two races running a mile out of the chute, they were like long sprint races where the pace scenario was similar to what you’d run in a seven-furlong race. I think going around two turns, he’s got good tactical speed and he might find a much more comfortable pace scenario.”

Winit posted a productive 5-start campaign in 2023 when scoring a win two starts back in a local one-mile tilt, and finishing second in two other optional claiming contests. He has banked a total of $245,433 through a lifetime record of 13-3-3-1.

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Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet Week 3 stakes probables

Saturday, January 20

Listed $150K Interborough

Probable: Dr B (Butch Reid, Jr.), Hot Fudge (Linda Rice), In My Opinion (Lacey Gaudet), Mosienko (Dennis Lalman), Rosebug (Bill Mott)

Possible: White Chocolate (Chad Summers)

Sunday, January 21

$100K Rego Park (NYB)

Probable: Antonio of Venice (Rudy Rodriguez), Detective Tom (Michelle Nevin)

Possible: Always a Warrior (Carlos David), Big Prankster (Christophe Clement), Black Almighty (Rice), Mischief Joke (Mike Maker)