Untapable undeniable in Kentucky Oaks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Untapable’s dominant effort in the Kentucky Oaks gave Rosie Napravnik big momentum in her bid to become the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby.

Whether she follows up aboard Vicar’s In Trouble today in the 140th Run for the Roses and becomes the eighth rider to complete the Oaks-Derby double remains to be seen, but Napravnik is making the Oaks her domain.

Untapable gave Napravnik her second Oaks victory in three years and put her on the brink of horse racing history by surging past My Miss Sophia entering the stretch and rolling to a 4 ½ -length victory Friday in the 140th Oaks at Churchill Downs.

“We got the first half completed, so we’re moving on to the second half of the double,” Napravnik said.

The overwhelming favorite in the $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies, Untapable raced to her third consecutive victory and fifth in seven starts. She has won her past three by a combined margin of nearly 22 lengths.

“We got into a great position,” said Napravnik, who has ridden the horse for all but one start. “She runs herbest when she can get into a great stride and she relaxes so nicely. She has grown up and she is maturing. She is magnificent.”

Sugar Shock turned in the best performance Friday from among the three horses that competed at Oaklawn Park this past season. Sugar Shock finished eighth, while Please Explain was 10th and Kiss Moon was 12th.

Untapable’s victory also turned up the spotlight on trainer Steve Asmussen, who is being investigated by Kentucky and New York racing officials after an animal rights group alleged he and his former assistant mistreated horses in their care. Asmussen sidestepped the matter, choosing instead to focus on his horse’s stellar closing run.

However, Winchell Thoroughbreds racing manager David Fiske conceded that the attention was “a little bit” of a distraction.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t,” Fiske said. “But we thought we had the goods when we came in here, and she proved us right.”

Thanks to Napravnik, Untapable positioned herself to charge at just the right time.

Breaking from the far 13th spot, Untapable stayed within reach of early leaders Sugar Shock, My Miss Sophia and Thank You Marylou before getting clear outside turning for home. The winner ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.68, the race’s second-fastest time, and paid $4, $3.20 and $2.60.

“The development of the filly, I think Rosie has been a key part of it,” Asmussen said.

My Miss Sophia returned $4.20 and $4.40, and Unbridled Forever paid $6.

Untapable’s dramatic finish followed some prerace suspense involving two horses who violently balked in the gate.

The first was Empress of Midway, partly owned by Rick Pitino, the Louisville men’s basketball coach. She thrashed and flipped in the gate and then sat down for a tense moment. Jockey Corey Nakatani wasn’t hurt in the fracas and stood by watching as workers quickly got the horse out. She walked away uninjured but was quickly scratched.

“She just went up in the gate and lost her balance and kind of sat down on her haunches and couldn’t get herself back up in the right position,” track veterinarian Larry Bramlage said. “We didn’t see anything obviously wrong, and she’s back to her barn.”

Minutes after horses in surrounding gates were guided back in, second betting choice Fashion Plate also had issues before settling down. She hopped out of the gate and quickly fell behind in finishing 11th out of 12 entrants.

“She was real tight in the gate,” jockey Gary Stevens said. “When [Empress of Midway] flipped, she tried to flip. She has never 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.”

ALYSHEBA STAKES Moonshine shines

Moonshine Mullin, a three-time winner this year at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, used a rail-skimming ride by Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel to win the $300,000 Grade II Alysheba Stakes for older horses.

Moonshine Mullin ($15.80) edged Golden Ticket by a half-length, covering 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.83.

Champion Will Take Charge, co-owned by Willis Horton of Marshall, was a non-threatening sixth as the 3-5 favorite under Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens.

“He just never got into that big, beautiful rhythm that we’re used to seeing,” Stevens said.

Will Take Charge was coming off a three-quarter length victory in the $600,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap on April 12 at Oaklawn. Borel guided Moonshine Mullin to a 5 3/4-length allowance/optional claiming victory April 11 at Oaklawn.

Randy Morse trains Moonshine Mullin, a $40,000 claim last fall at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, for owner Randy Patterson.

LA TROIENNE STAKES On Fire Baby wins

Favored On Fire Baby beat Molly Morgan beat 2 3/4 lengths to win the $300,000 Grade I La Troienne Stakes for older fillies and mares and become a millionaire.

On Fire Baby ($5.80) was coming off a runner-up finish in the $600,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap on April 11 at Oaklawn. She won the Apple Blossom last year before running second in the La Troienne.

On Fire Baby, who was ridden by Joe Johnson, won for the sixth time in 15 lifetime starts to increase her earnings to $1,082,687. She races for owner/breeder Anita Cauley and trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage.

On Fire Baby ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.48.

For the record

Facts from the Kentucky Oaks record book: SPEED RECORDS The fastest time to finish the 1 1/8 mile race is 1:48.64 set in 2003 by Bird Town. The fastest time for the 1½ mile race is 2:39 set by Felicia in 1877, tied by Belle of Nelson in 1878 and tied again Katie Creel in 1882. The 1¼ mile record was set by Selika in 1894 at 2:15. The record for the 1 1/16 mile race is 1:43.6 set by Ari’s Mona in 1950 and tied by Sweet Alliance in 1977.

LARGEST WINNING MARGIN 20¼ lengths (Rachel Alexandra, 2009) LONGEST SHOT TO WIN 47-1 (Lemons Forever, 2006) MOST WINS BY A JOCKEY 4 by Eddie Arcaro (1951, 1952, 1953, 1958) and Manuel Ycaza (1959, 1960, 1963, 1968) FEMALE JOCKEYS TO WIN Rosie Napravnik on Believe You Can (2012) and Untapable (2014) MOST WINS BY A TRAINER 5 (Woody Stephens (1959,1960,1963,1978,1981)

Sports, Pages 19 on 05/03/2014

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