Will Take Charge, winner of the prestigious G1 Travers Stakes, will stand at Darley in Japan in Hokkaido for the 2023 season.
Will Take Charge was an outstanding three-year-old, winning at G2 level before taking the G1 Travers Stakes, a time-honored race known as the "Midsummer Derby" which has been won previously and since by many notable horses – several of whom have gone onto tremendous success at stud including Bernardini, Medaglia d’Oro and Easy Goer.
Edged into second by a just a nose in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic that year, without the smoothest of runs, he rounded off his three-year-old campaign with victory in the G1 Clarke Handicap. Will Take Charge was rewarded for his outstanding year when he was named Eclipse Champion Three-Year-Old.
Will Take Charge retired to stud at Three Chimneys Farm in 2015 and made a superb start to his stallion career, siring G2 winner Manny Wah (who finished a close fourth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint earlier this month) in his first crop. He is also sire of the brilliant G1 winner There Goes Harvard who claimed the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup this year.
He has also enjoyed significant success in Japan, where his progeny have shown real aptitude for racing in the country. Four of his five progeny to race in Japan have won two or more races.
Will Take Charge is one of more than 20 G1 winners by Unbridled’s Song, also sire of six-time G1 winner Arrogate whose top-flight victories include the Dubai World Cup and Breeder’s Cup Classic. Unbridled’s Song has sired a number of successful horses in Japan, including the well-known racemare La Verita, winner of seven Graded races.
He has also had five G1 winners as a broodmare sire to date in Triple Crown winner Contrail, Suave Richard, Danon Platina, Toho Jackal and Notturno and he continues to have a significant impact on Japanese horse racing even after his death.
Will Take Charge also comes from an outstanding female family with his dam Take Charge Lady winning three G1s including the Spinster Stakes twice. He is a half-brother to fellow G1 winners Take Charge Indy and As Time Goes By, while his sister Charming has produced G1 winners Omaha Beach and Take Charge Brandi.
Harry Sweeney, President of Darley Japan said, “We are very pleased to be able to stand this stallion whose progeny have already shown suitability for Japanese racing at a time when his reputation has been further enhanced by his son’s G1 win in the USA this year. The great Unbridled’s Song already has influence in Japan as a broodmare sire, and we are confident that Will Take Charge will be a valuable successor, siring many successful horses in Japan.”
Will Take Charge’s stud fee will be announced at a later date.
