Untapable Overwhelming Choice in Ogden Phipps

Ron Winchell's homebred Untapable, a winner of six of seven starts last year, punctuated by a dominant performance in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, headlines the Grade 1, $1 million Ogden Phipps, to be run Saturday as part of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival presented by DraftKings.

The Ogden Phipps, a designated "Win and You're In" event for this year's Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, drew a field of six older fillies and mares and will be run at 1 1/16 miles around one turn. 

Untapable, who was unanimously voted the champion 3-year-old filly of 2014, won the Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in her most recent start on April 10. She made easy work of six rivals that afternoon in the 1 1/16-mile race. The Apple Blossom was preceded by a second-place finish in her 2015 debut in the Grade 2 Azeri at Oaklawn a month earlier.

John Velazquez, who is seeking his fifth win in the Ogden Phipps, rides the Steve Asmussen-trained Untapable from post 4. She is the 2-5 morning-line favorite.

Last year, Velazquez piloted Untapable, a daughter of Tapit, to a 9 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1 Mother Goose at Belmont. He picked up the mount on the filly when her regular partner, Rosie Napravnik, was sidelined by injury. Napravnik returned to riding and won the Cotillion and Breeders' Cup Distaff on Untapable. In the winner's circle following the Distaff she announced her retirement, saying she and her husband, trainer Joe Sharp, wanted to start a family. Earlier this week, Napravnik gave birth to a baby boy.

Velazquez rode Untapable in both of her starts this year.

"I'm committed to ride Untapable for the year," Velazquez said. "Once we knew Rosie was retiring, my agent [Angel Cordero] and Steve talked and Steve said, 'If you can ride her the whole year, you can have the mount.' So we committed. After the horse wins the Breeders' Cup, and you found out you can have the mount, I would say that's a pretty good situation to be in."

When asked what Untapable's best weapon is Velazquez responded, "I don't know because whatever she does, she does very well. In her first race this year, it just seemed she needed a run, and then I rode her back and she was ready for it, and she ran pretty impressively."

Asmussen's assistant Scott Blasi has been in New York overseeing Untapable's Ogden Phipps preparations. He said the filly's best weapon is her ability to "accelerate quickly" and to "get to horses quickly."

Untapable has tactical speed, and there is one trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, who hopes his filly, Wedding Toast, can use the champion as a target. Last month at Belmont in the Grade 2 Ruffian, the local prep for Ogden Phipps, the Godolphin-owned Wedding Toast was a bit further off the pace than is her custom. She launched a powerful move in the stretch and won the one-mile race by four lengths. 

"She ran huge last time," said McLaughlin, who won the 2012 Ogden Phipps with It's Tricky. "We took her back because we had [front-runner] Via Strata in the race and she was going to the lead, so I asked [Jose Lezcano] if he could sit off the pace with Wedding Toast. We don't have Via Strata for this race, but there will be pace with Untapable. We'll be off the pace."

Lezcano has the return mount on Wedding Toast, who is a winner of three races from four starts at Belmont, from post 2. 

House Rules finished third in the Ruffian, 6 1/2 lengths behind Wedding Toast. The filly's trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, was slightly disappointed in the effort, but noted she was further off the pace than is her preference.

A daughter of Distorted Humor, House Rules will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post 3.

Princess Violet prompted the pace in the Ruffian before finishing second and figures to be on or near the lead under Jose Ortiz from post 5. The New York-bred filly won the Empire Distaff here last year against state-breds at the Ogden Phipps distance. 

The field is completed by Rosalind, who is winless in four starts on conventional dirt, and Shayjolie, who is making her Grade 1 debut. 

The Ogden Phipps is named for the late breeder and owner who campaigned, among other champions, Easy Goer and Personal Ensign. It was previously run as the Hempstead Handicap, from 1961 through 2001.

Source: NYRA Communications