Hot Springs, AR (SportsNetwork.com) – Champion filly Untapable goes for her
first win of the year as she takes on six rivals in Friday’s $600,000 Apple
Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.
Trained by Steve Asmussen. Untapable has drawn post 2 in the seven-horse field
of fillies and mares and will again have Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez
riding.
“It looks like all systems go,” Asmussen said Monday after the filly’s
workout.
Untapable, last year’s champion 3-year-old filly, suffered a half-length loss
while making her 2015 debut on March 14 in Oaklawn’s Azeri Stakes, coming in
second as the 1-10 favorite behind Gold Medal Dancer.
Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Untapable won last year’s Breeders’ Cup
Distaff to close out a season in which she won six of seven starts including
the Rachel Alexandra Stakes, Fair Grounds Oaks, Kentucky Oaks, Mother Goose
Stakes and Cotillion. Her only loss came in the Haskell Invitational behind
eventual Breeders’ Cup Classic champ Bayern.
Untapable has earned $3,056,725 with eight wins in 12 career starts.
Gold Medal Dancer, owned by Pin Oak Stable, will start from post 5 with Luis
Quinonez once again in the saddle. The 5-year-old mare is trained by Donnie
Von Hemel and will be making her third start of the year.
Gold Medal Dancer upset champion Untapable by a half-length at odds of 8-1 in
a five-horse field in last month’s Azeri. She returned to the races after a
six month break on Feb. 15 to finish third in Oaklawn’s Bayakoa Stakes
Gold Medal Dancer has won seven of 16 career starts for $529,269.
Here is the field for the Apple Blossom from he rail out: Call Pat, Ramon
Vazquez; Untapable, John Velazquez; Pearl Turn, Jesus Castanon; Diva’s
Diamond, Cliff Berry; Gold Medal Dancer, Luis Quinonez; Glorys Last Chance,
Terry Thompson and Sugar Shock, Channing Hill.
Post time for the Apple Blossom will be approximately 6:10 p.m. ET.
