Making up for his unfortunate disqualification from a win in the Manitoba Derby on August 4, TAKE CHARGE TOM zoomed up the rail on the turn and went on to a 5 3/4 length win in the Canadian Derby (G3) at Century Mile on Aug. 23.
Owned and bred in Kentucky by Randy Howg, Take Charge Tom (Tom’s d’Etat – Gorgeous Ginny by Take Charge Indy), Take Charge Tom was favoured for the Canadian Derby at 1 1/4 miles. The gelding stumbled at the start, but got a good position quickly, stalking pacesetter Pioneer Storm King (7-1) with fractions of 23.17, 47.38 and 1:11.93 through the first six furlongs of the 1 1/4-mile race.
Ridden for the third time in a row by Rasheed Hughes, Take Charge Tom moved into second place on the second turn as Pioneer Storm King clicked through a mile in 1:37.87.
Racing to the inside, Take Charge Tom took the lead early in the stretch and extended it through the finish line to record a final time of 2:03.99 on the fast main track. He paid $5.90, $3.40 and $2.70. His Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form, was 78.
Trainer Robertino Diodoro was winning the Canadian Derby for the fifth time.
Accidental Genius (12-1) closed from last to place second and pay $9.40 and $6.00. Attack (5-2), who was promoted to victory in the Manitoba Derby, finished third Saturday and returned $2.90 to show. Pioneer Storm King faded to fourth. Take Charge Tom is 9: 6-0-1 with five stakes wins, including one at Turf Paradise, two at Sunland Park, one at Assiniboia and Saturday’s at Century Mile.
Take Charge Tom is the second foal to race for Gorgeous Ginny, who won five of 12 races including the Arizona Juvenile Fillies Stakes and the Arizona Oaks. Gorgeous Ginny is a half-sister to multiple stakes winners Rock and Glory and Shining Tiger.
The Canadian Derby is the middle leg of the Western Canadian Triple Crown, with the 1 1/8-mile British Columbia Derby (G3) on Sept. 13 at Hastings in Vancouver, the last race in the 2025 series.
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