Untapable taking in Oaklawn ahead of Azeri start

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Untapable galloped a mile at Oaklawn on Wednesday and was checking out all the sights and sounds of her new environment, said trainer Steve Asmussen. Untapable has prepped for Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for older fillies and mares, at Fair Grounds and arrived at Oaklawn on Monday.

Asmussen said he would have liked to have shipped her in a little earlier, but significant winter weather has been a constant in Arkansas, and the best course of action was to wait for it to clear out. It was a sunny, pleasant day Wednesday. Forecasts are calling for highs in the mid-60s on Saturday.

Untapable is part of a six-horse field for the Azeri, which will mark her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The race will go as the seventh, with an approximate post of 4:21 p.m. The field, from the rail with riders: Untapable, John Velazquez; Diva’s Diamond, Cliff Berry; Sugar Shock, Channing Hill; Gold Medal Dancer, Luis Quinonez; Mufajaah, Manny Equivel; and Flashy American, Chris Landeros.

Asmussen said Untapable’s campaign will be taken one race at a time, but the ultimate objective is a defense of her title in the BC Distaff.

The Razorback will be Tapiture’s first start since running second in the BC Dirt Mile. He also galloped a mile Wednesday at Oaklawn, said Asmussen. The Razorback, a 1 1/16-mile race for 4-year-olds and up, will go as the eighth race. The field, from the rail with riders: Tapiture, Santana; Golden Ticket, Landeros; Midnight Hawk, Espinoza; I Got It All, Hill; Race Day, Velazquez; Carve, Jesus Castanon; and Ride On Curlin, John Court.

◗ The annual chaplaincy banquet is Friday in Hot Springs, and in addition to fundraising for the program, the popular Garth Patterson Award will go to Tim Poole, assistant to trainer Nick Zito.