Fair Grounds: Untapable, Tapiture continue to progress

Untapable worked five furlongs in 1:01.96 on Monday as she continues gearing up for her 4-year-old debut.

Untapable worked by herself, and trainer Steve Asmussen said she would have at least one more solo drill before he would consider breezing Untapable in company. It was Untapable’s second five-furlong work and her fourth breeze in total since she returned to training this winter. She had been turned out at owner-breeder Ron Winchell’s farm in Kentucky after her win the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.

Tapiture, the 4-year-old colt who finished his 2014 campaign with a good second to Goldencents in the BC Dirt Mile, has been on the same work pattern as Untapable. He breezed five furlongs Monday in 1:02.20.

No specific plans for either horse have been announced by connections, but it’s no secret that the only truly worthy early-season goal for a filly of Untapable’s stature is the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn in April. Tapiture raced last winter at Oaklawn and would have better stakes options there than at Fair Grounds, where the only remaining dirt-route race for older horses on the stakes schedule is the nine-furlong New Orleans Handicap.

“They’re both traveling really well, both staying at their weight better than I ever would have imagined,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen contrasted the relaxed environment of working the horses this winter compared with the same time last winter, when both were 3-year-olds, with races the first weekend in May – the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks – applying backward pressure on their schedule.

“It’s just a completely different scenario now,” Asmussen said.

Turf for Another Lemon Drop?

Another Lemon Drop, the fourth-place finisher in the Lecomte Stakes whose connections had deemed him a probable starter in the Risen Star this weekend, wasn’t entered in the race but is “doing good,” according to trainer Phil Bauer, and could return to turf for his next start.

Another Lemon Drop worked five furlongs Saturday, and Bauer said Another Lemon Drop was a possible runner in the Black Gold, a 7 1/2-furlong turf race for 3-year-olds. Another Lemon Drop’s last three starts came on dirt, but his first two were on turf, and he won a maiden race over the Keeneland grass course.