Will Take Charge has claimed his first Group 1 at the expense of North America’s best three year-olds in the Travers Stakes (2000m) at Saratoga.

The chestnut son of Unbridled’s Song nosed out Moreno to win the million-dollar event on Saturday.  Among the beaten division were Kentucky Derby winner Orb (third), Belmont Stakes winner Palace Malice (fourth) and Haskell Invitational winner Verrazano (seventh).

It was the second upset in this year’s classics for trainer D. Wayne Lukas following his Preakness Stakes victory with 15-1 chance Oxbow.  The veteran Hall of Famer has now won the Travers three times following Thunder Gulch (1995) and Corporate Report (1991).

Will Take Charge was sent off at 9-1 after a runner-up finish to Palace Malice in the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga in July.  “He’s a little over 17 hands and just starting to find himself,” Lukas said.  “This is a horse whose getting his act together.”

Bred in Kentucky, Will Take Charge cost $425,000 at the 2011 Keeneland September yearling sale.  He won the G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier in the year has now earned over $1.26 million.

His sire Unbridled’s Song was put down aged 20 at Taylor Made Stallions in Kentucky last month.  The former Arrowfield Stud shuttler got the Travers winner from multiple G1 winning Dehere mare Take Charge Lady.