Gold Medal, Untapable Meet Again in Apple Blossom

 

“She's coming up to the race the best she can be and we're very happy with her,” said Von Hemel. “I know Untapable will be tough to beat (again) this time, but hopefully, we're a little tougher ourselves, too.”

 

The front-running Gold Medal Dancer, who has seven wins in 16 outings, fought off a challenge down the lane from Untapable, who was 1-9 in the Azeri field and tracked her the entire way, on a “good” track to prevail by one-half length. Von Hemel doesn't necessarily want to see the homebred daughter of Medaglia d' Oro set all of the fractions again.

 

“I don't think she has to be on the lead, but if it's a reasonable pace, then I think she will be again,” he said while noting that Sugar Shock, who won the pair of Grade 3 stakes for 3-year-old fillies here when she took the 2014 editions of the Honeybee and Fantasy Stakes, also has plenty of early foot.

 

Von Hemel has had the consistent and hard-trying Gold Medal Dancer, who has finished in the money 12 of 16 times, in his barn since the beginning.

 

“It's very gratifying that at this stage of her career she's at her best,” said Von Hemel. “We always thought that she was a very nice filly, but before, every time she stepped off into the deep water we'd get in trouble. It was good to see her get it done in a great stakes like the Azeri. This time, she'll have to be even better, and I'm sure Untapable will be a little tighter than she was last time (when coming off a long layoff).”

 

Gold Medal Dancer will have her rooting section on track on Friday as owner/breeder Josephine Abercrombie and a contingent from Pin Oak are attending the races.

 

“I've been with Pin Oak for a long time, since the 1980s, and it makes my job easier because they are very patient with their horses. I had a lot of very nice horses for them over the years,” said Von Hemel, who trained Pin Oak homebred 2012 Razorback Handicap (G3) and Oaklawn Handicap (G2) winner Alternation.