Tapiture Looks to Rebound in Matt Winn

Photo: Justin Manning / Eclipse Sportswire
After finishing 15th in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (Grade I), Winchell ThoroughbredsTapiture looks to bounce back in the $100,000-added Matt Winn (Grade III) on Saturday night at Churchill Downs.
 
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Tapiture will meet six 3-year-old rivals in the 1 1/16-mile contest, the seventh race of 11 on the Downs after Dark card, which begins the first race at 6 p.m. (all times EDT).
 
The 17th Running of the Matt Winn will be the fifth start of 2014 for the son of Tapit, who won the Southwest (GIII) at Oaklawn in his sophomore debut, followed by a runner-up effort in the Rebel (GII) and a fourth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby (GI) prior to the Kentucky Derby.
 
Jockey Rosie Napravnik, who rode Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) winner Untapable for the owner and trainer, will ride Tapiture for the first time Saturday.
 
Coming off an impressive 7 ¾-length victory over older horses in an allowance race at Churchill is Chuck and Maribeth Sandford LLC’s Almost Famous for trainer Pat Byrne. Almost Famous is seeking his first stakes win and will do so under guidance from regular rider and Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel.
 
Almost Famous has three wins in seven starts, with earnings of $114,379. All three of his wins have been on dirt at Churchill Downs.
 
Almost Famous has three wins in seven starts, with earnings of $114,379. All three of his wins have been on dirt at Churchill Downs.
 
Paul and Andrena Van Doren’s Rise Up is trying for his second consecutive stakes win after taking the Robert Hilton Memorial at Charles Town by 10 ¾ lengths in his last outing. Trained by Tom Amoss, jockey Leandro Goncalves has the call for the son of Rockport Harbor who also captured the Delta Downs Jackpot (GIII) as a 2-year-old.
 
The field for the Matt Winn from the rail out (with jockeys): Rankhasprivileges (Robby Albarado), Tapiture (Rosie Napravnik), Rise Up (Leandro Goncalves), Conquest Titan (Shaun Bridgmohan), Almost Famous (Calvin Borel), The Admiral (Miguel Mena) and Ulanbator (Julien Leparoux).
 
 

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