Tapiture regains confidence by taking Matt Winn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tapiture made a successful return to racing Saturday night when he powered to victory as the even-money favorite in the 17th running of the Grade 3, $109,400 Matt Winn Stakes, the first of four straight stakes on Stephen Foster night at Churchill Downs.

Making his first start since finishing 15th in the May 3 Kentucky Derby, Tapiture, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, got a perfect set-up under jockey Rosie Napravnik before taking control in upper stretch and drawing off to win the 1 1/16-mile race by two lengths.

Tapiture won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club here last fall as a maiden. He returned $4 to win with his third triumph from nine career starts after finishing in 1:43.99 over a fast track. His other win came in the Grade 3 Southwest in February at Oaklawn Park.

Ulanbator, a 9-1 shot under Julien Leparoux, rallied from well back to be second, another 1 1/4 lengths before Almost Famous in a field of seven 3-year-olds. Rankhasprivileges was another 5 1/4 lengths back in fourth.

Trainer Steve Asmussen had said shortly after the Derby that “we need to get his confidence back” when saying he was pointing Tapiture to the Matt Winn. Asmussen said the next start could come in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby, a race the trainer has won four times, at Mountaineer Racetrack on Aug. 2.

The Admiral and Rise Up battled for the early lead, but by the half-mile pole, they were overtaken by an inside rush by Almost Famous, ridden by Calvin Borel. But that proved to be a premature move, as Tapiture soon loomed up while farthest outside and took over at will, with Napravnik giving only mild urging as the Tapit colt glided clear by the furlong pole.

The $2 exacta (2-7) paid $20.80, the $1 trifecta (2-7-5) returned $46.40, and the 10-cent superfecta (2-7-5-1) was worth $37.46

Sabercat avoids injury in fall

The Matt Winn victory came about an hour after Winchell and Asmussen got a huge scare when Sabercat, a 5-year-old horse with nearly $900,000 in career earnings, fell hard to the ground after clipping heels at the quarter pole in the fourth race.

“We got very lucky,” said Asmussen. “He seems fine,” as he showed a phone video of Sabercat walking his shed row after the race. “He’s dirty from head-to-toe, and man, he hit that ground hard. So we’re happy he seems okay.”

Ricardo Santana Jr., who rode Sabercat, also escaped serious injury in the spill besides “having the wind knocked out of him,” according to track reports.