Kentucky Oaks trail: Beckman will run Her Laugh in Untapable

Cross-entered in the Untapable Stakes and the Letellier Memorial on Saturday at Fair Grounds, Her Laugh will go in the Untapable according to her trainer Whit Beckman. Drawing a field of eight freshman fillies, the $100,000 Untapable covers a mile and 70 yards on the dirt. It is the last Kentucky Oaks (G1) prep race of the calendar year, offering 10-5-3-2-1 points.

Her Laugh, owned by Grantley Acres, broke her maiden on debut going six furlongs at Churchill Downs in mid-November. The Practical Joke filly was tabbed at 6-1 in the morning line.

“I want to stretch her out and it seems like now is as good a time as any,” Beckman said.

Her Laugh will face her stablemate Drexel Hill in the Untapable. Owned by Legion Racing and previously trained by Barbara Minshall, this will be the Bolt d’Oro filly’s first race with Beckman. Drexel Hill has raced four times, all at Woodbine on the synthetic course.

“(Drexel Hill) has been training great over the dirt here,” Beckman said. “If it doesn’t work out we could look at getting her back on synth at Turfway.”

With two entered in the $100,000 Letellier Memorial, a six-furlong dirt sprint for juvenile fillies, the decision to run Her Laugh in the Untapable leaves Simply Joking, a first-time starter who Beckman reported has been training like she’s ready to take on stakes company at first-asking.

Gary and Mary West’s California Sunset was made the 9-5 morning line favorite in the Untapable, representing trainer Brad Cox’s chance to repeat in the Oaks prep, having won last year’s edition with Alpine Princess. After finishing fourth in her first race, California Sunset broke her maiden going 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs with the addition of blinkers.

“The blinkers helped her get out of the gate better,” Cox said. “In her first race, she didn’t come out of the gate. Obviously she likes the two turns--she’s bred to like it--and she's been doing good down here. We think it’s a good spot for her.”