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OPPENHEIM'S ABC INDEX
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LADY TAK - TEST STAKES
LADY TAK - FAIRGROUNDS OAKS
LADY TAK - TIFFANY LASS
Bill Oppenheim charts MUTAKDDIM as a top 10 stallion with first foals of 1998 ABC by runners/ABC Index 
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LADY TAK wins TEST (G1) at Saratoga and sets new stakes record (Photo by Adam Coglianese)
In a hand ride, LADY TAK set a new stakes record held by GO FOR WAND AND VERY SUBTLE and came within a fifth of a second of Darby Creek Road’s 25-year-old track record in winning the GI Test S. at Saratoga by 4 1/2 lengths. The small but attractive chestnut held the rail while racing close to the pace, went to the front approaching the stretch and was not seriously menaced thereafter. “She is very special. Always has been,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “We have thought for a long time that this race would be a good opportunity to show how good she can be.” And good she was.
Lady Tak won each of her first five career starts, the first three around one bend, including the Jan. 4 Thelma S. at Fair Grounds. She proved her ability to handle the stretchout in distance with facile scores in the Jan. 26 Tiffany Lass S. at a mile and the GII Fair Grounds Oaks at 8 1/2 furlongs before finishing second to loose-on-the-lead Elloluv in the GI Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 5. Sixth to Bird Town as the favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks May 2, the Florida-bred filly found the Oaks winner just a head too good in the June GI Acorn S. in her latest effort. The TEST victory was especially sweet for the winning connections. This was our target for her for the year and I couldn’t be any happier for her,” victorious trainer Steve Asmussen commented. “Everything fell into place. She was away smoothly and Jerry [Bailey] gave her a great ride.” The winner could make her next appearance in the GI Gazelle H. at Belmont Sept. 9.
After some difficulty at the start, Lady Tak showed her class and circled the leaders and drove through the stretch to miss by a neck in the Acorn (G1).
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Lady Tak wins Fairgrounds Oaks
Photo by /Lou Hodges Jr.
LADY TAK , f. 3, Mutakddim - drew off to win the $350,00 Fairgrounds Oaks (G2) with ease. The filly, who is
based at Fair Grounds, remained undefeated in five career starts withf an exhilerating 3 1/2- length triumph
Making her graded stakes debut, Lady Tak looked like a seasonaed competitor during the 1 1/16 mile test. She stalked the pace in fourth through early fractions of :24.24 and :48.17 through the first half-mile, LADY TAK began finding her best stride when she swung three-wide around pacesetter Rebridled Dreams and eventual runner-up Atlantic Ocean on the final turn. “She deserves all the credit,” trainer Steve Asmussen said of Lady Tak. “Donnie rode a great race and everything fit. For this filly to be that intelligent to change her style to suit the race at this level of competition, she is more than one in a million.”
The chart reads: LADY TAK restrained from early on while settling just outside BELLE OF PERINTOWN, bid three wide nearing the drive, took over before the final furlong and drew out while ridden out. She raised her earnings to $355,920.
Some quotes about LADY TAK:
“LADY TAK WENT INTO LAST WEEKEND AN UNDEFEATED FILLY WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL. SHE CAME OUT OF IT AN EASY WINNER OF THE FAIR GROUNDS OAKS (G2) AND A LEADING CONTENDER FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY RACE IN THE COUNTRY, THE GRADE 1 KENTUCKY OAKS.” ~ Marcus Hersh /DRF 3/12/03
“SHE’S JUST - SHE’S JUST A FREAK!” ~ Jockey Donnie Meche
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1/26 - Lady Tak remains undefeated despite chaos at the gate.
Undefeated Lady Tak had no trouble with the one mile distance in the $100,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes at the Fair Grounds. With a huge move at the top of the stretch, Lady Tak accelerated to the head of the field and drew away, winning by a comfortable 2 3/4 lengths. Owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, Lady Tak endured some rough moments before the gates opened. Allspice, standing in the No. 4 post position, just inside of Lady Tak, started acting up before Buffalo Jump in post position No. 1 threw jockey Patrick Husbands behind the gates. Moments later, Belle Of Perintown, to Lady Tak's immediate right in the gate, surged forward and sat down under Calvin Borel. "I was glad to see her relaxed with (Belle Of Perintown) going to the ground in the gate," said winning rider Donnie Meche. "She broke well, relaxed down the lane and the acceleration she had when I asked her was unbelievable. I think she has the heart if someone comes up to her she will dig in and do fine." Trained by Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Mutakddim was timed in 1:38.60. She ran her undefeated streak to four with the win, hr second in stakes company. The $60,000 winner's share for the Florida bred improved her career bankroll to $145,920. Bred by John Franks, Lady Tak was purchased for $75,000 at Keeneland's April sale for 2-year-olds. "We hope that race is a step in the direction of the (Fair Grounds) Oaks," Asmussen said. "She went the mile very well. With all the activity in the gate she got away well. I was more nervous than her. If all goes well, we'll nominate and aim to the Silverbulletday (G2)."
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2004 NEWS:
10/10 - Lady Tak remains on track in Gallant Bloom
Lady Tak tracked the pace with precision and unleashed a determined closing kick to land her second consecutive graded stakes win in the $150,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap (G2) on Sunday at Belmont Park.
Stakes winner Molto Vita, who finished fourth to Lady Tak in the Ballerina Handicap (G1) on August 29 at Saratoga Race Course, set the early pace through a quarter-mile in :23.37 and a half-mile in :46.84 with Lady Tak in pursuit.
Waiting for the right time to strike, 4-to-5 favorite Lady Tak took over when asked by jockey John Velazquez, accelerating past Molto Vita to score a two-length victory. Stakes winner Zawzooth, winner of an allowance/optional claiming race on June 23 at Belmont in her previous start, chased the pace on Sunday but never rallied to finish 4 1/4 lengths behind in third.
Lady Tak, trained by Steve Asmussen, covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.04 over a fast track.
"I couldn’t ask for a better trip," Velazquez said. "She was outside and she let me get a hold of her. I was just a passenger. I just wanted to get through the first part of the race. I knew she would have enough to finish."
Lady Tak has won ten of 17 starts and has earned $1,109,602. Bred in Florida by John Franks, she is out of the Lucky North mare Star of My Eye.
8/29 - Lady Tak On Her Toes to Win Ballerina
by Blood-Horse Staff
Date Posted: 8/29/2004 6:03:19 PM
Photo by Adam Conglianese AP/NYRA
Returning to the scene of her greatest success, Lady Tak won Sunday's Ballerina Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, barely holding off My Trusty Cat by a head in the final strides.
7/18 - FRENCH REPUBLIC runs 3rd in the HBPA Horsemens S.
7/10 - LADY TAK runs 3rd in the G2 Princess Rooney H at Calder.
7/5 - SOUND OF GOLD wins the Minnesota HBPA Mile S.
6/21 - Mutakddim dominates the G1 Gran Premio Estrellas Distaff at Palermo. ARTEMISA ran 1st and MY DEAR LADY ran 2nd, 5 lengths ahead of the field.
5/22 - LADY TAK Wins Winning Colors H.
Lady Tak, ridden by Shane Sellers, surged to the lead on the turn and held off a stretch challenge by Put Me In to score a three-quarters of a length victory in Saturday's first running of the $108,600 Winning Colors Handicap for fillies and mares at Churchill Downs.
The 4-year-old daughter of Mutakddim, winning for the eighth time in 14 starts, covered the six furlongs in an impressive 1:08 4/5 and paid $3.00, $2.80 and $2.10. Under top weight of 122 pounds, it was the fastest six-furlong clocking of the Churchill spring meet.
Put Me In, with Robby Albarado aboard, failed to catch the winner after a prolonged stretch challenge and paid $5.40 and $2.40. Ebony Breeze, with Cornelio Velasquez up, finished 1 ¼-lengths back in third and paid $2.20.
Owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and trained by Steve Asmussen, Lady Tak earned $67,332 to increase her lifetime bankroll to $814,602. The win was her fourth in stakes company and her second in three starts in 2004. The chestnut filly is unbeaten in five starts at six furlongs.
Surf N Sand dueled with Lady Tak for the early lead through fractions of :21 2/5 for the quarter-mile and a quick :44 for the half-mile. As the field moved around the far turn, Surf N Sand fell back as Lady Tak took command and maintained her advantage through the stretch under moderate urging from Sellers.
"She's just a great mare to ride," Sellers said. "She's very fast and she just makes your job easy. I wanted to be off the fence, I thought the inside was bad, and right here (in midstretch) I took her off the fence again and she hit another gear."
The stakes victory was the second of the meet for Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, Asmussen and Sellers. The trio had teamed earlier to win the Three Chimneys Juvenile with Lunarpal on Kentucky Derby Day. Asmussen collected his ninth Churchill stakes victory.
"Put Me In ran a very good race," he said. "You know they go eight-and-four to beat her. But the last hundred yards she wasn't making up any ground on her (Lady Tak), so I think we're back where we need to be."
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3/15 - LADY TAK (Mutakddim) named Florida-bred Champion 3-Year-Old Filly:
Bred by the late John Franks, the daughter of Mutakddim scored wins in the Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and finished second in three Grade 1 races for owner Heiligbrodt Racing Stable.
The Florida-bred champions are selected by a panel of five racing secretaries: three based in Florida, one in New York and one in California. There are 10 nominees in each division and past performances on the season for all the horses are provided to the racing secretaries. Votes are cast for the top three in each division. The results are then tabulated and announced by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
1/23 - Brunilda (Arg) ran second in the G2-Arg Clasico Ricardo - becoming his 23rd stakes horse in 2003 - 2004 alone!.
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