Take Charge Tom Is First Stakes Winner For Tom's d'Etat

Take Charge Tom (Tom's d'Etat) rolled by 9 1/4 lengths in his unveiling in a $30,000 maiden claimer over course and near distance Dec. 4 and jumped into stakes company Friday. The 4-5 favorite had plenty of company up front, dueling with Roman Gratis (Stanford) and Manzoni (Lotsa Mischief) early and having to put away a determined Candy Caballo around the far turn. Narrowly ahead of that rival into the stretch, he just edged away in the late stages to win ahead of a closing Don't Fly Stand By (Upstart). The first stakes winner for his freshman sire (by Smart Strike), Take Charge Tom has a yearling half-brother by Candy Ride (Arg) and a weanling half-sister by Twirling Candy. Gorgeous Ginny is due back to Army Mule for 2025. Click for the Equibase.com chart.

#7 TAKE CHARGE TOM ($3.60) stays undefeated in two starts with a win in the $40,000 Lost in the Fog Juvenile Stakes at @turf_paradise. Orlando Mojica was aboard the juvenile Tom's d'Etat (@WinStarFarm) colt for trainer @diodororacing19. pic.twitter.com/ALpAucPSm6

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 27, 2024

LOST IN THE FOG JUVENILE S., $40,000, Turf Paradise, 12-27, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:15.61, ft.
1–TAKE CHARGE TOM, 119, c, 2, Tom's d'Etat–Gorgeous Ginny
(MSP, $143,020), by Take Charge Indy. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN.
O/B-Randy Howg (KY); T-Robertino Diodoro; J-Orlando Mojica.
$23,600. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $36,200.
2–Don't Fly Stand By, 121, c, 2, Upstart–Miss Emelina, by Big
Brown. ($35,000 RNA Ylg '23 SARAUG; $35,000 2yo '24
EASMAY). O-Wallstreet Racing Stables IV, Clifford Thygesen
and EIK Ranch, LLC; B-H&H Farms, Inc. (NY); T-Kevin Eikleberry.
$7,600.
3–Candy Caballo, 119, c, 2, Twirling Candy–Viva Malala,
by Malibu Moon. ($25,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-George Todaro;
B-JSM Equine, LLC (KY); T-Wade Rarick. $4,000.
Margins: HF, 2HF, 7. Odds: 0.80, 1.90, 4.30.
Also Ran: Roman Gratis, Just Trust Me, Manzoni, Border Vigil, F B I Bob, Colonel Ludlow. Scratched: Tommy Hockey.