Untapable gives Napravnik second Oaks win

Untapable cruised under the wire to give Rosie Napravnik a second win as the only female jockey to win the KY Oaks (Jamie Newell/Horsephotos.com)

Despite being washed out in the post parade, Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s
homebred Untapable kept her cool when Empress of Midway acted up and got stuck
in the starting gate of Friday’s Grade 1, $1 million
Kentucky Oaks.

The Tapit miss easily took command in the lane and pulled off to give jockey
Rosie Napravnik a second win in the Run for the Lilies in front of a 113,071
on-track crowd at Churchill Downs.

“She came out of the paddock a little hot but she really calmed down when she
got on the track and there was a lot more space and less people,” Napravnik said.
“We went in the gate the first time and took the halter and shank off right
before it happened (Empress of Midway), so she was without that. When we came out, we had to walk
around behind and she relaxed more than she was before.

“She stood in the gate perfectly and got out perfectly. We got into a great position.
She broke so sharp. She was standing perfect in the gate, she broke sharp, we
got the perfect position. She gets into a great stride and she relaxed so
nicely, better than you can ask any horse to do, and just showed exactly who she
is down the lane.”

“She has grown up and is maturing. She is magnificent. She shuts off and she relaxes. She kind of gives me the
ear twitch like ‘when do you want to go?’ She is absolutely fabulous.

“It is just a great feeling. I am so thankful for Steve (Asmussen) and for the
Winchells having me on the filly. They have done such a great job. They take
their time with this filly and she is just maturing. She is moving forward all
the time and she was perfect today.”

Untapable is now three-for-three on the year (Jamie Newell/Horsephotos.com)

“She was in the gate and they were having a little trouble loading the
favorite. They were smooching at her (Untapable) and it riled my filly up some.
She false broke. Then she went down,” Doug O’Neill explained his view of the
situation with trainee Empress of Midway

“Thanks goodness she was smart enough to stay down and not move; she didn’t
go to thrashing. They got her out of there and we’ve got her now back at the
barn. She’s fine. I’d say she’s 100 percent. We’ll fight another day.”

Once loaded back in Fashion Plate began acting up, forcing jockey Gary
Stevens to dismount for a moment. The starter seemed quick on the trigger once
Stevens got back in the saddle, and the duo broke tardily after not being quite
ready.

“She was real tight in the
gate,” Stevens said of Fashion Plate. “When the first filly (Empress of Midway) flipped, she tried to flip. She
never has had to stand in the gate that long and she’s used to smaller fields.
As soon as the gate opened, my race was over. It was very disappointing.”

“She lost all her chance at the start and just had difficulty with the other
filly and broke last. It was not her game from there,” trainer Simon Callaghan
agreed.

Untapable is picture perfect in three starts under the Twin Spires (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com)

Untapable, sent off the even-money favorite, paid $4 for the win. My Miss
Sophia was best of the rest, six lengths clear of Unbridled Forever, and Rosalind completed the
top four under the wire. Thank You Marylou came next and was followed by Ria
Antonia, Got Lucky, Sugar Shock, Aurelia’s Belle, Please Explain, Fashion Plate
and Kiss Moon.

“I feel very fortunate
to have gotten second,” admitted My Mis Sophia’s jockey, Javier Castellano. “I don’t want to take anything away from the winner
because she ran a great race. I’m very happy with my filly.”

Untapable entered the Oaks off two dominating performances at Fair Grounds,
which were her only others starts on the year. After romping by 9 1/2 lengths in
the Rachel Alexandra on February 22, the bay miss drew off by 7 3/4 lengths in
the Fair Grounds Oaks last out on March 29.

The Kentucky-bred filly began her career with back-to-back wins as well, but
under the Twin Spires. She captured a maiden and the Pocahontas at Churchill
Downs last year before shipping to California and throwing in a pair of subpar
runs when a well-beaten eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and third
in the Hollywood Starlet to close out her two-year-old campaign.

“How fast she is,” Asmussen answered when asked what made Untapable so
special. “After the bad race in the Breeders’ Cup I think the filly
got back on track, ran a little bit better in the Starlet, but once we moved her
to New Orleans, I thought she grew up a lot, filled out considerably.”