Florida Derby - Take Charge Indy Upsets Union Rags - NYTimes.com HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Union Rags was relegated to the role of spectator in Saturday's 63rd running of the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park as Take Charge Indy led from the start and pulled off the upset. Take Charge Indy, trained by Patrick Byrne, won the $1 million race by taking advantage of a fast and firm dirt track. The three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel rode Take Charge Indy along the inside rail throughout and crossed the finish line one length ahead of Reveron, who edged a charging Union Rags by a neck. "We're not surprised," said Byrne, who had pulled back from the full-time rigors of training horses before joining forces with Take Charge Indy's owners, Charles and Maribeth Sandford. It's a great result, and we're happy. Chuck and Maribeth, they deserve this. They've been in the game for two years, and they win their first Grade I. They're wonderful owners, and they leave me alone to do what I need to do so they deserve this more than anybody. Take Charge Indy went off as the third favorite behind Union Rags and El Padrino after having eschewed the Tampa Bay Derby to take a shot in this Grade I. He finished the mile and an eighth race in 1 minute 48.79 seconds and paid $17.40 on a $2 bet to win. The last time Union Rags and Take Charge Indy raced each other was at the Breeders" Cup Juvenile in November, and the fast track worked against Take Charge Indy, who finished fifth. Union Rags sustained his first defeat, losing by a head to Hansen. "It has been a factor in his losses, but this time, it was a factor in his win," Charles Sandford said about the track. Today, the rail was just golden. Borel knows a thing or two about what it takes to win in Louisville, and he has no doubt that Take Charge Indy can again hold his own in the Kentucky Derby on May 5. "This horse, he has the potential, he has the breeding behind him," Borel said. Pat's been to the big dance, so he wasn't coming to play, I'll tell you that. Union Rags and jockey Julien Leparoux were pinned in by El Padrino for nearly half the race, and by the time Leparoux was able to free up space to make a move, it was too late. His trainer, Michael Matz, and his owner, Phyllis Wyeth of Chadds Ford Stable, will now look ahead to Churchill Downs with some trepidation. Union Rags drew praise as a 2-year-old because of his size and early success, and his progression during his 3-year-old season had fallen in line with expectations as he won the Fountain of Youth in February. Matz said that Union Rags sprung his right hind shoe in the paddock, and it had to be tacked back on. But Matz said he did not consider that a factor in the outcome. "Julien said Javier Castellano was on him the whole time down the backside, but that's just race-riding," Matz, who won the Florida Derby and the Kentucky Derby with Barbaro in 2006, said of El Padrino's jockey. He said he should have been closer the way the track has been right now. Matz added: "I'm not going to trade with anybody. It's just unfortunate how it turned out today, but he can't help that. It was just one of those things. Leparoux said he thought Union Rags finished the race strong, especially the last eighth of a mile, and emphasized that the horse never got flustered from being behind the leaders, pinned to the rail or getting dirt kicked in his face. But with Union Rags the 1-5 favorite in this race and the early Kentucky Derby favorite, Leparoux knew the other jockeys would be gunning for him. "Nobody paid attention to the winner - they let him go," Leparoux said. I guess they just target the favorite.