Untapable’s now more at home at Oaklawn

Untapable is back in her groove, as evidenced by her recent works over the track (Coady Photography) Trainer Steve Asmussen said champion Untapable (Tapit) was a bit antsy in her new surroundings after arriving at Oaklawn in early March. It showed a few days later when Untapable, slow to settle early in the March 14 Azeri S. (G2), finished second in her four-year-old debut, beaten a half-length by Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d’Oro) over a waterlogged surface. But Asmussen said Thursday morning — on the eve of Friday’s Apple Blossom H. (G1) — that Untapable seems to have finally settled into her early spring home. “She’s doing really well,” Asmussen said. “I thought schooled great yesterday. I think she’s trained nicely over the racetrack. Obviously, a little concerned with what the weather does today. Pretty good chance of rain. It looks like it’s inevitable, but I think that the race track might be in a little better shape to handle some water now. It was so saturated all of last month.” Asmussen said before the Azeri that Untapable wasn’t fully cranked coming off a 4 1/2-month layoff. She figures to be much tighter Friday. The four-year-old filly has recorded three workouts since the Azeri, including a jaw-dropping six-furlong move in company March 30 (1:10 4/5).

“I can’t remember anything here going that fast,” said Jim Hamilton, who has
clocked workouts at Oaklawn since the mid-1980s.

Asmussen said following the breeze — Untapable’s major work for the Apple
Blossom — that “she needed to do something” because she got a little tired in
the Azeri.

“She needs to run faster,” Asmussen said.

In other Oaklawn news:

When the connections of champion Shared Belief (Candy Ride) decided to bypass
Saturday’s Oaklawn H. (G2), trainer John Sadler discerned that Hot Springs was
the place for Hard Aces (Hard Spun). The five-year-old finished fourth behind
Shared Belief in the Santa Anita H. (G1) last out after being purchased
privately by Hronis Racing following his dominating win in the Louisiana H. in
mid-January.

“We bought him and then had to wait another week for the flight to get him
out here, so we got him a little too late for the Big ‘Cap. I just wish I’d had
him a bit longer before that race,” Sadler said. “We thought he ran well, but it
wasn’t quite what we were looking for.

“We’re definitely still new to each other and we’re just getting to know one
another and figure each other out,” he said. “He ran well in the Big ‘Cap,
although I do feel that he’s capable of a bit more.”

Hard Aces keeps Victor Espinoza aboard.

“It worked out great because Victor was already going to be there to ride
American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Arkansas Derby (G1) the same day.
He rode him in the Big ‘Cap and has been working him, so knows the horse and
that’s always a plus,” said Sadler, who will be at Oaklawn on Saturday.

Trainer Randy Morse said late Thursday morning that he wasn’t sure if his
promising four-year-old Street Strategy (Street Sense) would run in the Oaklawn
‘Cap. Street Strategy is doing well physically Morse said, but the gray colt
remains under consideration for the $200,000 Texas Mile (G3) April 24 at Lone
Star Park and the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Street Strategy drew the extreme outside post (10) for the Oaklawn ‘Cap, with
regular jockey Calvin Borel named to ride.

“Tough race,” Morse said. “Very tough. My horse is just not seasoned. I think
he’s a very, very good horse, but I think this is as good a Oaklawn Handicap
we’ve had in the last 10 years, personally.”

Street Strategy has made all five career starts at Oaklawn, winning three
times. His 2014 campaign was cut short after Morse said the colt tore the main
supporting ligament in his stifle in the Rebel S. (G2), a major Kentucky Derby
prep race. Street Strategy won his January 30 comeback race, a first-level
allowance at a mile, by 4 1/4 lengths, then cleared his second allowance
condition by a neck March 8.

Trainer Brad Cox said Thursday morning that multiple stakes winner Carve
(First Samurai) will run in the Oaklawn ‘Cap. Carve has also been under
consideration for the Texas Mile.

Now, Cox said, it’s possible Carve could run in both races.

“I’m not opposed to running him back in 13 days,” Cox said. “He won a Grade 3
running back in 14 days. We’ll see what happens.”

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