Bernietakescharge outdueled Sterling Silver to win Wednesday’s $200,000 Critical Eye S. by a neck after a stretch-long duel.
The 4-year-old daughter of Take Charge Indy is now a two-time stakes winner of $469,580 for her owner/breeder team of Robert D. Rosenthal & Bradford Bernstein.
Bernietakescharge had things her own way in the early stages of the 1 1/8-mile race. She had a two-length lead after six furlongs in 1:12, but Sterling Silver came with her run and took a narrow lead at the top of the stretch. After the duo passed the furlong marker, Bernietakescharge battled back and took over the top spot, then held sway to the wire to finish in 1:50.26 on a fast track.
“She gets very game when she’s on the front. So, that was the whole game plan to be on the lead and be pretty aggressive with her, and get her into her rhythm,” said winning rider Romero Maragh. “That’s why I tried to just engage the other horse, and that horse kind of helped me and carried me through the lane.”
Bernietakescharge, who won the Heavenly Prize Inv. at Aqueduct in February, is now 6-2-2 in 16 starts.
Take Charge Indy, who stands for $7,500 S&N, is also the sire of this year’s Martha Washington S. winner and Ashland S. (G1) runner-up Take Charge Milady.
