An Eclipse toast of ‘Brandi

A half-length victory in the Starlet (G1) at Los Alamitos on December 13 pretty much sealed the deal for Take Charge Brandi.

By winning the Starlet, Delta Downs Princess (G3) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in succession, the chestnut miss should continue the tradition of BC Juvenile Fillies scorers being honored with an Eclipse Award as top two-year-old filly for the year.

For a brief time it almost appeared that unbeaten Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Lady Eli might have a shot at becoming the first exclusive turf runner to be honored as champion two-year-old filly.

Unfortunately for Lady Eli, Take Charge Brandi has precedent on her side.

From when the race was inaugurated in 1984 through 2013, only four winners of the BC Juvenile Fillies has not been champion two-year-old filly of her crop. That’s 26 of 30 winners to be awarded an Eclipse.

It’s not like Take Charge Brandi did horribly throughout the rest of her 2014 season, either. The Kentucky-bred filly showed promise at the beginning of her career over the summer before, admittedly, tailing off a bit during the fall.

Her strong finish to the year should be more than enough to erase those few poor performances, though.

Take Charge Brandi caught a speedy track in the BC Juvenile Fillies, holding on to win at 61-1 after setting fractions of :22 1/5, :45 4/5, 1:10 and 1:35 1/5. Many were willing to throw that race out, but tenacious victories in the Delta Downs Princess and Starlet have proven she is more than just a one-race wonder.

By finishing 2014 with a bang, how could Take Charge Brandi not be named champion two-year-old filly of 2014?

(Benoit Photos)