Untapable heavy favorite for Kentucky Oaks

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Untapable has been made a heavy favorite versus 12 rivals for Friday's $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. The 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-old fillies is the companion event to Saturday's 140th Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Steve Asmussen, Untapable is the 4-5 morning line favorite and will break from the far outside post with Rosie Napravnik again riding the filly.

Owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, Untapable is coming off consecutive victories at Fair Grounds to begin 2014. She won the Rachel Alexandra by 9 1/2 lengths on Feb. 22 and captured the Fair Grounds Oaks five weeks later by 7 3/4 lengths.

Untapable won her first two starts last year, both at Churchill, but was eased in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita last November.

"It was a big learning experience for us," Asmussen said. "We had in our minds where we wanted to put her, and I think we have learned to let her do things as opposed to make her do things. She is not the same filly physically as she was then, but we definitely thought we had a great chance going in that day. You are analyzing the race and where you want to be and how the track is playing, and we learned a lesson. You have to let it come to her as opposed to make her go to it."

Untapable comes into Friday's Oaks having earned $548,125 with a chance to more than double her earnings with a victory. Winning the Oaks will be worth $570,400.

Santa Anita Oaks winner Fashion Plate is the 6-1 second pick and Ashland Stakes champ Rosalind is the third choice at 8-1.

From the rail out here is the Oaks field: Please Explain, Jose Lezcano, 50-1; Ria Antonia, Mike Smith, 10-1; Sugar Shock, Calvin Borel, 12-1; Rosalind, Joel Rosario, 8-1; Thank You Marylou, Julien Leparoux, 30-1; Kiss Moon, Victor Espinoza, 30-1; Fashion Plate, Gary Stevens, 6-1; Aurelia's Belle, Channing Hill, 50-1; Unbridled Forever, Robby Albarado, 12-1; Empress of Midway, Corey Nakatani, 50-1; My Miss Sophia, Javier Castellano, 8-1; Got Lucky, John Velazquez, 20-1 and Untapable, Rosie Napravnik, 4-5.

Post time for the Oaks will be 5:49 p.m. ET.