Lea Upsets WTC in Grade I Donn H.

Lea Upsets WTC in Grade I Donn H.

Category : News - Sun 09/02/2014 - 13:41 EST

It took a track record to do it, but former Grade III winner Lea managed to pull off an upset on Sunday afternoon by winning the Grade I Donn Handicap over reigning three-year-old champion Will Take Charge.  Run at Florida’s Gulfstream Park, the $500,000 Donn is for horses aged four-years-old and up, and is run at 1 1/8 miles on the dirt. In taking the win in 1:46.86, Lea broke the previous record of 1:47.49 set by Quality Road in 2010. It was Lea’s sixth win in 12 career starts.

Lea takes command from the start

Breaking from the #8 post at 5-1, Lea went quickly to the front to sit just off the pace being set by Uncaptured (28-1), and then hooked up with that one to duel down the backstretch and through the final turn.  Taking command at the top of the stretch, Lea opened up by as much as three lengths, and then held on to win by 1 1/2 over a hard closing Will Take Charge (9-5). Viramundo at 45-1 enjoyed a rail trip throughout and managed to get up for third, helping to boost the $1 trifecta payoff to $576.40.

Will Take Charge runs out of track

For the late-running Will Take Charge, it was a solid effort at what is probably a little shorter distance than he likes. He had come into this off a win in the Grade I Clark Handicap in late November, just less than a month after finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He now has six wins and four seconds in 16 career starts, including two Grade I wins. After a disappointing Triple Crown campaign last spring, he has been first or second in all six of his starts since the Belmont Stakes.

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