Asmussen points Untapable to Mother Goose

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Steve Asmussen said he will monitor weather patterns in determining when to send Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable to New York for her next start, the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes on June 28 at Belmont Park.

Asmussen will be at Churchill Downs early Monday to oversee the penultimate prerace work for Untapable, the standout leader of the 3-year-old filly division.

“She’ll breeze five-eighths, go back to the track a day or two later, and then I’ll focus in on whether or not to send her up there for her last work,” Asmussen said Friday from Texas. “It all depends on what the weather looks like in New York. If it’s fine, we’ll probably van her up and work her there, but if not, she’ll stay at Churchill until after she has that last work. I’ve got more confidence in the Churchill surface wet than Belmont’s.”

Untapable, bred and owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, has breezed three times, all at five furlongs, since winning the May 2 Oaks by 4 1/2 lengths. Rosie Napravnik will again ride, and the Tapit filly will be heavily favored in the $300,000 Mother Goose, which at 1 1/16 miles is a sixteenth-mile farther than the Acorn Stakes, a Grade 1 race held last weekend on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

“She’s shown herself to be a tremendous talent, and everything appears to continue to be that way, especially watching her work,” Asmussen said.

Several of Untapable’s previous rivals ran in the Acorn, and the results did not particularly flatter the Oaks winner. Unbridled Forever finished third, Fiftyshadesofgold was fourth, My Miss Sophia was seventh, and Fashion Plate was ninth.

“I’m not much into what other horses do,” Asmussen said. “If you consider how far we’ve beaten some of those other fillies, the [past performance] line on the Oaks still looks pretty good.”

Asmussen has mapped out a tentative schedule for Untapable following the Mother Goose by working backward from the Oct. 31 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita. Those subsequent races would be the Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama Stakes, and Cotillion Handicap.

◗ Asmussen has been having a terrific spring meet at Churchill, particularly with his 2-year-olds. One of them, Tapitsphere, was up in the final strides to win his career debut Thursday at 5 1/2 furlongs for a Beyer Speed Figure of 56.

“He’s another nice Winchell homebred by Tapit,” Asmussen said. “He’s only going to get better as the races get longer. He’s very physical and wants more ground. There’s no way that even 5 1/2 furlongs could do what you’re aiming at. He’d had plenty of work into this, but I was still worried that wasn’t enough ground. Some of these 2-year-olds are quicker than him, but come next spring, that won’t mean anything. I think he could be a nice one.”

Through Thursday, Asmussen led the meet standings with 15 winners, two more than Mike Maker. Five of the wins have come in 2-year-old races, including a May 9 score by Cinco Charlie, who earned an 82 Beyer.

◗ Trainer Dale Romans said he has no specific race yet planned for Medal Count, the Spendthrift Farm colt who was a big third in the Belmont Stakes.

“He came back great,” Romans said. “We’ll train on him a little, and then I’ll meet with the Spendthrift team and come up with a plan.”

Meanwhile, Romans is optimistic of making the June 28 Firecracker Stakes with Silver Max, who remains the only horse to beat Wise Dan in the last two years. Silver Max has had three breezes since returning from a freshening, the latest here Thursday on the turf. The Grade 2, $200,000 Firecracker is a mile on turf.

“This last work was really good and has me thinking we can make it,” Romans said.

◗ He’s not nearly as famous as his older brothers, but Casino Dan earned a few moments of recognition here Thursday with a 1 3/4-length victory in a first-level turf allowance.

Casino Dan, a 6-year-old gelding by the late sire Mutakddim, is out of Lisa Danielle, making him a half-brother to 8-year-old Successful Dan, an earner of $998,154, and 7-year-old Wise Dan, the reigning two-time Horse of the Year. As with the two older siblings, Casino Dan was bred by owner Morton Fink and is trained by Charlie LoPresti.

◗ Corey Lanerie, who holds a commanding lead while going for his fifth leading-rider title from the last six Churchill meets, will ride at Belmont Park before heading to Saratoga for the summer, the 39-year-old jockey confirmed Thursday. New York-based Bill Castle will serve as Lanerie’s agent while there.