Untapable dominates Rachel Alexandra

Untapable proved she’s moved forward as a sophomore with her Rachel Alexandra tour de force (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography)

Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Untapable threw in a subpar eighth two starts
back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, then finished a one-paced third in
the Hollywood Starlet over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track on December 7.

Thanks to those two efforts, the Tapit filly was let go as the 4-1 fourth
choice in Saturday’s
Grade 3, $196,000
Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds but unleashed a devastating
run to be 9 1/2 lengths clear on the wire of the 1 1/16-mile contest.

Untapable is unlikely to get away with those odds in her next planned start, the Grade 2,
$400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 29, where she could add to the 50 points she
earned Saturday for a starting berth in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill
Downs. Five of the last nine Fair Grounds Oaks winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Hollywood Starlet victress and 3-2 favorite Streaming led the way once the gates opened,
setting an opening split of :24 and the three-quarter mark of 1:12 3/5 while
dueling all the time with maiden winner Army, who was credited with the half-mile fraction
of :47 4/5. Jockey Rosie Napravnik allowed Untapable to sit just outside of
Express Model, who was trailing the top two in third and had Shanon Nicole
dogging her hoofs on the inside.

As Streaming and Army continued battling entering the turn, Express Model and
Untapable moved up to run in tandem. Untapable was forced to go four wide around
the bend, but easily took command in the lane and immediately began pulling
away. The bay miss was much the best and ended up stopping the clock in 1:43 3/5
to return $10.80 to her faithful backers.

“The filly, she acted extremely well today,” trainer Steve Asmussen praised.
“You know, Rosie worked her in the morning. We think she is better than she was
last year and I think she showed that today. There were two Grade 1 winners in
that race and we had a lot of respect for the field.”

“I had lots of confidence in her,” Napravnik added.
“Steve has done an excellent job with her, and I’m thankful they put me back on
her. It was a wide trip which just goes to show you how much the best she was.”