Bernietakescharge charges into $150K Johnstone
Trainer Domenick Schettino sends out dual stakes-winning New York-bred Bernietakescharge in Wednesday’s $150,000 Johnstone, a seven-furlong sprint for state-bred fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Saratoga Race Course.
Bernietakescharge seeks her third stakes win this year under regular rider Romero Maragh for owners/breeders Robert D. Rosenthal and Bradford H. Bernstein. The 4-year-old Take Charge Indy dark bay started her season with impressive back-to-back scores headlined by a dominant 6 1/4-length romp in the one-turn mile Heavenly Prize Invitational against open company in February at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"She's doing well and I'm happy with her," Schettino said. "She's really turned a corner and has been training well from the wintertime until now. She hasn't backed off at all."
She next returned to state-bred company with a distant off-the-board finish in the one-mile Biogio’s Rose in April at the Big A when eased over muddy and sealed footing. She reversed her form with a valiant effort to win by a neck over multiple graded stakes-placed returning rival Sterling Silver in the nine-furlong Critical Eye on June 4 here.
“She's a talented filly,” Schettino said. “She beat a very nice filly last time. She's moving forward, progressing and maturing. We're just trying to pick our spots properly and take our time.”
Schettino said he was pleased to draw post 9 in the field of 11 as he leaves tactics in the capable hands of Maragh.
"That's a good post - I like it," Schettino said. "You're not stuck inside where you have to be committed to the lead, on the outside she can sit and see how the race sets up. She has the tactical speed to break and be close, and Romero knows her well enough and he's ridden her so many times. They compliment each other and have made a good team so far."
Bernietakescharge, out of the stakes-winning Freud mare Berning Rose, is a half-sister to sophomore filly Bernieandtherose, a New York homebred for the same connections who notched back-to-back state-bred scores in the East View on February 8 and the Maddie May one month later at the Big A. Bernieandtherose is training towards a stretch out in distance in the nine-furlong Fleet Indian for state-bred sophomore fillies on August 21 here.
Mark T. Anderson’s Sterling Silver [post 8, Junior Alvarado], a 6-year-old Cupid gray, will pose a large threat for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
Sterling Silver, out of the Distorted Humor mare Sheet Humor, looks to turn the tables on Bernietakescharge after her last out neck defeat in the aforementioned Critical Eye.
Sterling Silver started her campaign with a comfortable stalk and pounce score in the Biogio’s Rose as the odds-on favorite over stakes-winner Sweet Brown Sugar in a final time of 1:35.70. She followed with a strong effort in the Grade 2 Ruffian on May 10 at Belmont at the Big A where she was second to the talented Jody’s Pride. There, she saved ground over the fast footing and angled out in the turn to pass tiring foes, including returning challenger My Mane Squeeze, and finished three-quarter lengths shy of victory.
Bred by Mallory Mort and Karen Mort, Sterling Silver has banked over $1 million through a 31-9-7-5 record.
Caldwell Stable’s 4-year-old Goldencents filly Caldwell Luvs Gold [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] returns to New York-bred company after a solid third in an optional claimer facing open company on May 30 at Churchill Downs for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.
Her last stakes effort saw her land a troubled third in the Biogio’s Rose where she was bumped at the start and forced to save ground behind foes before swinging out for home following the move of Sterling Silver. She finished willingly to secure show honors 5 3/4 lengths back of her familiar foe.
Blake Cox, son of and assistant to Brad Cox, said the consistent bay is trending in the right direction.
“She’s training great,” Cox said. “She’s had three or four works up here and we were able to back off her a little bit after the Churchill race and she’s moving great. The works up here have been good, she likes Saratoga. She did well up here her 2-year-old year and it’s going to be a tough race, but we think she can get a piece of it.”
Bred by Jeremiah Desmond and Drumkenny Farm, the Grade 3-placed Caldwell Luvs Gold returns to the scene of some of her strongest efforts, including two wins to kick off her career in 2023 with a debut graduation and a half-length win in the state-bred Seeking the Ante. She holds a 4-2-1-0 record at the Spa.
“Open company, we were just taking a shot,” Cox added. “She’s made half a million dollars; she’s been great for the ownership group and she’s a very nice filly. You can’t find a lot of New York-breds like her.”
William Butler and WinStar Farm’s dual graded stakes-winner and reining New York-bred Horse of the Year My Mane Squeeze [post 5, Luis Saez] will receive class relief for trainer Mike Maker.
The Audible 4-year-old enters off a chasing fifth in the Grade 2 Chicago on June 21 at Churchill Downs. There, she faced a field that included multiple graded stakes-winners Vahva and Emery, and finished evenly after tracking 2 3/4 lengths off the early pace.
She started off her campaign with a stiff task in the Grade 1 Madison in April at Keeneland where she finished a strong third and earned a career-best 95 Beyer Speed Figure. There, she raced four-to-five-wide and was in contention after a half-mile in 45.65. She was eye-to-eye with eventual winner Positano Sunset in the stretch before the Ian Wilkes trainee dashed to the lead with the favored Emery coasting up the rail to take place honors, leaving My Mane Squeeze to finish 2 1/4 lengths back in a final time of 1:23:39.
Her last effort in New York was a troubled third in the Ruffian where she was bumped early, clipped heels and was forced to press the pace before getting run down late by Jody’s Pride and Sterling Silver.
My Mane Squeeze, a homebred for Butler, boasts millionaire status with more than $1.1 million in earnings via a 16-6-2-5 ledger that includes graded wins at Churchill last year in the Grade 2 Eight Belles and Grade 3 Dogwood.
Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown sends out Alpha Delta Stables’ Grade 2-placed homebred Dolomite [post 2, Manny Franco]. She enters on the heels of three straight wins at Aqueduct by a combined 10 lengths, including a six-length score in an optional claiming event on April 5.
Rounding out the field are multiple stakes-winners Cara’s Time [post 3, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Mitch Friedman, Landed [post 6, John Velazquez] for trainer Wesley Ward and Tricky Temper [post 11, Jose Ortiz] for trainer Jeremiah Englehart; stakes-placed Maggy’s Palace [post 10, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Jim Ryerson; four-time winner Cupid’s Heart [post 7, Flavien Prat] for trainer Bruce Levine; and three-time winner Majestic Return [post 1, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] for conditioner Ilkay Kantarmaci.
The Johnstone is slated as Race 8 on Wednesday’s nine-race card. First post is 1:10 eastern.
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