Untapable looking unstoppable ahead of Mother Goose Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. – The Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes on Saturday at Belmont Park has taken on the air of an exhibition race.
– Untapable is the 1-5 morning-line favorite.
– The New York Racing Association has canceled show betting on the race, even though it has six entrants, and carded it as the fourth race of the day.
– And the second betting choice, Stopchargingmaria, may take a pass and point to the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.
Despite all this, the star quality of Untapable, romping winner of the Kentucky Oaks and leader of the 3-year-old filly division, makes the Mother Goose a must-watch Saturday.
Untapable arrived at Belmont Park from Kentucky on Tuesday, and her trainer, Steve Asmussen, was on hand Thursday to oversee final preparations. He admitted to being “anxious and excited” about the race, and who can blame him? The 1 1/16-mile Mother Goose will be Untapable’s first start in eight weeks and kicks off what has been designed to be a championship campaign.[bc_video_id:328428:]
“It’s an easy thing to say, but if all goes well, we’d like to run her in the CCA Oaks, Alabama, Cotillion, and BC Distaff,” Asmussen said. “That would be eight starts for the year.”
Untapable’s first three starts of 2014 have gone exceedingly well. She romped by 9 1/2 lengths in the Rachel Alexandra, by 7 3/4 in the Fair Grounds Oaks, and by 4 1/2 in the Kentucky Oaks as the even-money favorite in a 12-horse field.
After the Oaks, many wanted to see her take on the boys in the Preakness. Asmussen decisively extinguished that fire, and on Thursday said "it was an easy call.”
Skipping the Grade 1, $750,000 Acorn Stakes on June 7 may have been a bit more difficult, but Asmussen said he, owner-breeder Ron Winchell, and David Fiske, Winchell’s Kentucky farm manager, talked it over and agreed that although the Acorn was an “attractive race, it didn’t lead into the rest of the year quite right for us.”
Untapable comes into the Mother Goose off a series of five works at Churchill Downs. Asmussen seems comfortable with her fitness level despite the eight-week break between races.
“She’s brilliant; her works are very good,” he said. “Untapable is very physical. She puts plenty into her training. She puts quite a bit into what she does.”
Asmussen thinks so highly of Untapable that he didn’t hesitate Thursday to compare her to his 2009 Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra.
“Rachel and Untapable have completely different personalities,” Asmussen said. “They’re as different as two people could be. Rachel propelled herself. She was very strong, powerful. Untapable moves so gracefully. She just goes out and skips over the ground. She just goes faster, easier than any horse I have in the barn.”
Rosie Napravnik has ridden Untapable in six of her seven starts but had to give up the mount as she is recovering from a shoulder injury. John Velazquez will ride.
The others entered in the $300,000 Mother Goose are three-time graded stakes winner Stopchargingmaria, who won the Black-Eyed Susan last time out; House Rules, who has placed in a pair of Grade 2 stakes; Princess Violet, who has won statebred maiden and allowance races in her last two starts; America, who is 1 for 6; and Aqua Regia, who is 2 for 7.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Princess Violet. Trainer Michael Hushion is 2 for 8 (and 6 for 8 in the money) with a $5.55 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route in graded stakes on dirt. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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