It was another stakes victory for TAPIT’s Charge It on Saturday when he was an easy winner of the Suburban Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park.
Racing alongside Red Run early on while running 1 ¼ miles on the dirt, Charge It raced to a clear lead down the backstretch as they entered the final mile of the race. It was clear from there that Charge It had plenty left with the colt steadily pulling away around the turn and down the stretch.
Jockey John Velazquez took a few glances around as he urged the TAPIT 4-year-old on before letting him coast to the line in the final sixteenth by 4 ¾ lengths.
“He broke a little bit awkwardly but recovered and put himself in a good spot,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. He was in cruise control throughout. {John Velazquez] left him off the rail a little bit to keep him relaxed, but he was traveling so well and it was coming pretty easily to him, you don’t want to take that away.”
It was the fourth victory and seventh top two finish in 10 starts for Charge It, who also won the Dwyer Stakes (G3) on the same track by an impressive 23 lengths.
Pletcher noted that the Whitney (G1) may be the next start for the TAPIT son.
“It was a good win for him,” Pletcher said. “It proved he could stay a mile and a quarter. The spacing is pretty good if we want to consider the Whitney which is obviously going to be a more difficult assignment, but he’s always been a horse that’s impressed us as a top-class horse. Maybe he’s starting to put it all together.”
Charge It is a homebred for Whisper Hill Farm out of the blueblooded I’ll Take Charge. That mare is a half-sister to champion Will Take Charge and Grade 1 winners As Time Goes By and Take Charge Indy with another sibling also producing champion Take Charge Brandi – who produced TAPIT’s stakes winning Courvoisier – and three-time Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach.
I’ll Take Charge is out of the three-time Grade 1 winner and Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady. She had a full sister to Charge It on May 27 of this year.