Untapable Wins Oaks 140
by Molly Jo Rosen
The last time a filly entered the Oaks with this much hype, her name was Rachel Alexandra and she would go on to stamp herself as one of the greats of all time.
Is Untapable on that level?
Only time will tell.
But what the bay daughter of Tapit did under the Spires today was certainly special.
After a slight delay caused by a pair of California shippers (first Empress of Midway was caste in the gate and scratched, then Fashion Plate momentarily acted up), the heavy favorite broke from the outside post and rated close to the pace before taking the lead just off the turn and drawing away to win by a clear 4-1/2 lengths. The final time (1:48.68 was just .04 of a second off the stakes record set by Bird Town in 2003).
This was the second Kentucky Oaks win for owner/trainer combination Winchell Thoroughbreds/Asmussen and also the second win for jockey Rosie Napravnik, who won in 2012 with Believe You Can.
In a hopeful bit of foreshadowing, Winchell Thoroughbreds announced after the race that the mating which produced the Oaks winner (Tapit out of the mare Fun House) had been repeated: the mare visited the breeding shed at 9 am ET this morning. So - just think - in four years, we could be having this same conversation.
The last time a filly entered the Oaks with this much hype, her name was Rachel Alexandra and she would go on to stamp herself as one of the greats of all time.
Is Untapable on that level?
Only time will tell.
But what the bay daughter of Tapit did under the Spires today was certainly special.
After a slight delay caused by a pair of California shippers (first Empress of Midway was caste in the gate and scratched, then Fashion Plate momentarily acted up), the heavy favorite broke from the outside post and rated close to the pace before taking the lead just off the turn and drawing away to win by a clear 4-1/2 lengths. The final time (1:48.68 was just .04 of a second off the stakes record set by Bird Town in 2003).
This was the second Kentucky Oaks win for owner/trainer combination Winchell Thoroughbreds/Asmussen and also the second win for jockey Rosie Napravnik, who won in 2012 with Believe You Can.
In a hopeful bit of foreshadowing, Winchell Thoroughbreds announced after the race that the mating which produced the Oaks winner (Tapit out of the mare Fun House) had been repeated: the mare visited the breeding shed at 9 am ET this morning. So - just think - in four years, we could be having this same conversation.
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