Untapable honored as Fair Grounds’ Horse of the Meet
following FG Oaks triumph
Untapable, the 7
3/4-length heroine of Saturday’s 48th running of the Fair
Grounds Oaks and 9 1/2-length winner of the Rachel Alexandra before that, has been named Horse of the Meeting for the 142nd season at Fair
Grounds.
Untapable’s next assignment is expected to come in the
Grade 1, $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2. Five of the last nine Fair Grounds Oaks winners have
parlayed their local victories to others in that same three-year-old filly fixture
at Louisville’s famous Twin Spires oval.
Untapable, who was also unanimously named top three-year-old filly of the New Orleans season, is trained by Steve Asmussen.
Horse of the Meet and divisional honors were determined by
a vote of media and racing officials at Fair Grounds.
Vicar’s in Trouble, winner of Saturday’s 101st
running of the Louisiana Derby, was also unanimously voted best three-year-old
male horse. The Mike Maker-conditioned sophomore also won the January 19 Lecomte
over the track and finished third in the Risen Star on February 22 despite being handicapped by an outside post position.
Vicar’s in Trouble is expected to make his next start in
the Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Palace Malice, who won Saturday New Orleans Handicap
by 4 3/4-lengths, also took all the votes to be named best
older horse of the Fair Grounds meeting. The son of Curlin, who remains undefeated as a
four-year-old, is trained by Todd Pletcher and captured last year’s Belmont Stakes. Skyring,
who captured Saturday’s Mervin H. Muniz
Jr. Memorial Handicap over the Stall-Wilson turf course and finished
second by a nose in the Fair Grounds Handicap five weeks ago, was
elected top turf horse of the local season. Skyring is conditioned by Hall of
Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
Class Included didn’t compete on Saturday, but the Include mare was
unanimously voted best older female horse based on those two local stakes
scores. The Ron Faucheux-trained six-year-old mare scored in the Bayou Handicap
five weeks ago as well as the Blushing K D Handicap in December. Fellow Faucheux
trainee Sunbean, who won this season’s Louisiana Champions Day Classic
and Star Guitar, finished third in the New Orleans ‘Cap, good enough to be
honored as best older Louisiana-bred of the meeting.
Heitai was selected as top sprinter of the Fair Grounds season
based on his victory over Delaunay in the Duncan F. Kenner
on March 8. Delaunay won top sprinter honors last season and was also
named Horse of the 141st Meeting. Trained by Karl Broberg, Heitai also won the
Louisiana Champions Day Sprint and Costa Rising. Artist Cry, winner of the restricted Sarah Lane’s Oates
and fifth in the Fair Grounds
Oaks on Saturday, was named best Louisiana-bred three-year-old of the meeting. Wes Hawley is the
Clever Cry filly’s trainer.
British-bred Lucky Rave was elected best claimer of the meeting based
on his four victories at the local oval as well as his third-place finish in his
last start when only beaten a half-length for the win on March 23.
Familiar names topped the human standings at Fair Grounds
as Rosie Napravnik, Steve Asmussen and Maggi Moss repeated
their respective titles as leading jockey, trainer, and owner at the 142nd
Thoroughbred race meet.
Napravnik notched her fourth consecutive riding title,
besting runner-up James Graham for the third consecutive season, concluding the
season with 114 wins, a nine-win advantage over Graham. On March 13 aboard
Pistolpackinsenora, she ensured herself another 100-win season after bagging 125
wins in the 2012-2013 season, 111 with her 2011-2012 title and 110 in
2010-2011.
Napravnik joins Ronald Ardoin (1992-1993 through 1995-1996) and Shane
Romero (1987-1988 through 1991-1992) as the only riders with at least four
consecutive Fair Grounds riding titles since 1960.
Napravnik rode multiple stakes winners over the course of
the meet and ruled in the biggest races for three-year-olds at the stand, guiding
Vicar’s in Trouble in the Louisiana Derby and Lecomte as well as piloting Untapable in the Fair Grounds Oaks
and Rachel Alexandra.
Asmussen, who tied for leading trainer honors last season
with Tom Amoss, ended the season atop the Fair Grounds trainer standings for the
13th time in his career with 60 wins. Asmussen has led the trainer race
throughout nearly the entire meet and remained well clear of Amoss who finished
the season as the runner-up.
Asmussen’s meet was highlighted by the commanding performances of sophomore Untapable.
Moss tallied her fourth straight title as leading owner
after tying with Asmussen at 18 wins last season, landing 21 wins at the meet,
including the Battle of New Orleans Stakes with Kiss to Remember. Moss also
campaigned the meet’s only five-time winner, Phat Day.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com