Litfin's preview: Untapable looms at any price

Coming off three stakes scores by better than 21 combined lengths, division leader Untapable looks every bit of 1-5 in today’s Mother Goose against five rival 3-year-old fillies. The price could go to the minimum 1-20 if the connections of the only other graded stakes winner, Stopchargingmaria, determine that discretion is the better part of valor for a filly whose tip-top Beyer Speed Figures still leave her a good 20 points short.

On paper, the race has the look of a paid public workout for Untapable, so it probably won’t matter that: a) she has lost the sidelined Rosie Napravnik for the time being; b) she hasn’t run one turn since her debut a year ago; and c) Steve Asmussen’s 43 starters on the circuit since last Nov. 30 are 1-6-6 from 43 starts, the solitary score by Double Gold ($4.30) against two opponents in a $16,000 New York-bred claimer.

Battle of the ‘Bay’ winners

Riposte and Tannery, who have taken the last two renewals of the Sheepshead Bay, clash for the first time in the New York Stakes, in which their principal adversaries are the late-blooming New York-bred Inimitable Romanee and Viva Rafaela, who captured the 2012 Group 1 Brazilian Oaks in her native land.

Throw in Gathering and Scampering, who are graded stakes placed, and the New York is an intriguing long-distance grass race that could produce starters for Saratoga’s Diana and/or Glens Falls.

There should be quite a cat-and-mouse game between Javier Castellano on Tannery and Joel Rosario on Risposte, as both showed somewhat surprising early speed in their last-out victories. Through Thursday’s racing, Castellano and Rosario had combined to win 45 of the 151 grass races run at the meet.

Viva Rafaela, who has been on or near the lead in all four of her stakes starts this year, may further complicate matters up front.

Green Mask tops Manila

A lot of things didn’t go smoothly for Green Mask when he switched to turf in last month’s Paradise Creek Stakes, but he overcame traffic and a tardy lead change in the stretch to draw off impressively anyway.

Now 2 for 2 for Christophe Clement, Green Mask moves toward the outside and seems poised for continued progress in the one-mile Manila for 3-year-olds on the Widener course.

Green Mask appears to have been training in tandem with his new stablemate, Bashart, who won the Grade 2 With Anticipation last summer for former trainer Todd Pletcher and is the only graded stakes winner in the field.

Cabo Cat, Canzoni, Long On Value, and So Lonesome have shown some promise on the grass, but it will be interesting to see what Green Mask can do with a clean trip.

Horse to watch

MIDNIGHT CITRA
Trainer: Bill Mott
Last race: June 27, 3rd
Finish: 3rd by 6 1/2
Beyer: 60

The first-time starter hit the side of the gate at the start, raced wide, and finished willingly in a swiftly run dash behind some highly promising 2-year-old fillies.