Chuck and Maribeth Sandford’s Take Charge Indy, winner of this spring’s Florida Derby (G1), heads a roster of 28 horses nominated to the 55th running of the $150,000 Fayette (G2), the closing-day feature on October 27.
Unraced since sustaining an ankle injury in the Kentucky Derby
presented by Yum Brands (G1) in May, Take Charge Indy could give trainer
Pat Byrne a second victory in the 1 1/8-mile main track event. Social Charter won the Fayette for Byrne in 1999.
Another 2012 Kentucky Derby alum nominated to the race is John Oxley’s Prospective. Winner of the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and sixth here in the Toyota Blue Grass (G1), Prospective won the Ohio Derby (G3) in June.
A couple of other horses that have had Polytrack success, G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and St. George Farm Racing’s Middie and James Karp’s Newsdad, are among the nominees.
Trainer Phil Oliver intends to run Middie, winner of the Washington
Park Handicap (G3) at Arlington Park on September 1 who won here on
October 6. Newsdad, trained by Bill Mott, owns the Keeneland Polytrack
record for 1 1/14 miles (2:00.61).
Michael Dilger, assistant to trainer Todd Pletcher, said the Fayette is under consideration for Salto (IRE),
a nine-length allowance winner here on October 13. Salto covered the 1
1/16 miles on the main track in that victory in 1:42.54, the fastest
clocking at the distance for the meet.
Entries will be taken Wednesday for the Fayette, which was won last year by Wise Dan.