Untapable Looks Invincible in Azeri

Like American Pharoah, Winchell Thoroughbreds’ champion Untapable (Tapit) is pegged as the 1-2 morning-line favorite for her return to the races in today’s GII Azeri S., the final local prep for the $600,000 GI Apple Blossom H. during the Racing Festival of the South Friday, Apr. 10. And like that champion, it’s tough to go past the heavy chalk in spite of the winter’s absence. 

The homebred bay was nothing short of sensational in 2014, winning each of her six tries against her fellow females, culminating with her 1 1/4-length defeat of Don’t Tell Sophia (Congaree) with short of an easy trip in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31. It says much that Untapable was made the 7-5 chalk when facing the boys in the GI Haskell Invitational S. July 27, but she never got untracked that afternoon, finishing a well-beaten fifth and effectively dashing any hopes of Horse of the Year contention. It’s all systems go, according to trainer Steve Asmussen. 

“She is doing extremely well and this race will be a good starting point to her four-year-old campaign,” said the conditioner, who sent the filly out for a one-mile gallop over a muddy track on Wednesday morning. 

The Ken McPeek-trained Take Charge Lady (Dehere) nearly took down the colors of the Horse of the Year for whom this race is named in the 2003 Apple Blossom, and the stable will try to play spoiler this afternoon with the hard-knockingFlashy American (Flashy Bull). Sixth in this a year ago, she took the GIII Sixty Sails H. in her next start for her lone success of the season. She most recently returned from a freshening to run TDN Rising Star Mufajaah (Tapit) to a neck, with fellow Rising Star Gold Medal Dancer (Medaglia d’Oro third, last time out in the GIII Bayakoa S. 

The latter, a three-time winner entering this term, posted a 5-1 upset of this track’s Pippin S. Jan. 17 before earning her first graded-stakes black-type in the Bayakoa. She was rumored to have run her last race, but connections press on for at least one more go this afternoon.