Untapable Among Derby Week Stakes Nominees

Champion 3-year-old filly Untapable, Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Bayern and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winners Palace Malice and Tonalist are among horses nominated to 10 stakes during Kentucky Derby Week at Churchill Downs. 

        

Nominations for the 141st running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), the $1 million Longines Kentucky Oaks and $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (gr. IT) were announced earlier. The roster of other Derby Week stakes events for the week of April 24-May 2 also includes the renamed $200,000 Pat Day Mile Presented by LG&E and KU (gr. III), a Derby Day race named for the Hall of Fame jockey and previously known as the Derby Trial; and the $100,000 William Walker, a new six furlong race for 3-year-olds named for African-American jockey and 1877 Kentucky Derby winning rider William "Billy" Walker, set for April 25, opening night of the spring meet. 

        

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Untapable, who won the 2014 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) during a championship campaign that included four grade I victories and concluded with a triumph in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park, heads 22 older fillies and mares nominated to compete in the 30th running of the $300,000 La Troienne, one of five grade I events on the Derby Week schedule. Untapable scored the first victory of her 4-year-old season last week with a 2 1/2-length triumph in the Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park. The champion had been upset by Pin Oak Stables' fellow La Troienne nominee Gold Medal Dancer in her 2015 debut in Oaklawn's Azeri (gr. II).

 

The 1 1/8-mile La Troienne, one of six stakes races that will be run on the Kentucky Oaks Day program on May 1, attracted other accomplished nominees that include Barry Schwartz's Madison (gr. I) winner Princess Violet;  Town and Country Farms' Alabama (gr. I) and Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) winner Stopchargingmaria; Harold Queen's Royal Delta (gr. II) winner Sheer Drama; Bobby Flay's Sunshine Millions Distaff winner Dame Dorothy; G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Falls City (gr. II) winner Frivolous; Bill Cubbedge's Fleur De Lis (gr. II) and Chilukki (gr. II) winner Molly Morgan; John Clay's Kentucky Oaks runner-up and Gazelle (gr. II) winner My Miss Sophia; and James B. Tafel's Indiana Oaks (gr. III) winner Tiz Windy.

 

Kaleem Shah's Bayern heads the rosters of nominees to both the 81st running of the $500,000 Churchill Downs, a grade II Kentucky Derby Day race at seven furlongs for 4-year-olds and up, and the 12th running of the $400,000 Alysheba (gr. II), a 1 1/16-mile race on Kentucky Oaks Day for 4-year-olds and up named in honor of the 1987 Kentucky Derby winner and 1988 Horse of the Year. The Bob Baffert-trained son of Offlee Wild   completed 2014 with a victory over Kentucky Derby winner California Chrome and previously unbeaten Shared Belief in the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. His 2014 victories also included the Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, the Pennsylvania Derby (gr. II) at Parx Racing and the Woody Stephens (gr. II) at Belmont Park. He finished first in Churchill Downs' Derby Trial, but was disqualified by track stewards and placed second for interference.

 

Also nominated to both the Churchill Downs and Alysheba is Dogwood Stable's 2013 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Palace Malice, a son of two-time horse of the Year Curlin   who won the Metropolitan Handicap (gr. I), Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II), New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) and Westchester Handicap (gr. III) for trainer Todd Pletcher in 2014. Also on the roster of Alysheba nominees is Robert S. Evans' Tonalist, whose victory in the 2014 Belmont Stakes ended California Chrome's bid for a Triple Crown. The Christophe Clement-trained son of Tapit   also won the Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I) and Peter Pan (gr. II) during his 3-year-old season.

 

A total of 27 nominations to the Churchill Downs also includes Cigar Mile (gr. I) winner Private Zone; and Kings Bishop (gr. I) winner The Big Beast.

 

Bayern, Palace Malice and Tonalist head the list of 48 nominees to the Alysheba that also includes Clark Handicap Presented by Norton Healthcare (gr. I) winner Hoppertunity; Wood Memorial (gr. I) and Jim Dandy (gr. II) winner Wicked Strong; the Shug McGaughey-trained Gulfstream Park Handicap (gr. II) and 2013 Remsen (gr. II) winner Honor Code; Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) winner Majestic Harbor;  Whitney (gr. I) winner Moreno; and Belmont Stakes runner-up and Skip Away (gr. III) winner Commissioner.

 

Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (gr. I) winner Judy the Beauty heads a roster of 26 fillies and mares ages 4 and up made eligible to compete in the 29th running of the $300,000 Humana Distaff (gr. I) at seven furlongs on Derby Day. The 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper   is owned and trained by Wesley Ward and her 2014 wins also included Keeneland's Madison, Santa Anita's Las Flores (gr. III) and the Rancho Bernardo (gr. III) at Del Mar. 

 

The roster of 26 fillies and mares eligible to run in the Humana Distaff also includes La Troinne nominees Dame Dorothy, Gold Medal Dancer, My Miss Sophia, Princess Violet and Stopchargingmaria. Also included are Treadway Racing Stable's Test (gr. I) winner Sweet Reason; Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Dogwood (gr. III) winner Thank You Marylou; On Cloud Nine Stable's 2014 Fantasy (gr. III) winner Sugar Shock; Ashbrook Farm's Winning Colors (gr. III) winner Southern Honey; and Southern Equine Stable's and Whispering Oak Farm's Victory Ride (gr. III) winner Street Story.

 

Other Breeders' Cup heroes nominated to Derby Week Stakes races include the winners of the event's turf races for 2-year-olds. Sheep Pond Partners' Lady Eli, unbeaten winner of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT), heads 53 fillies  eligible to compete in the 30th running of the $150,000 Edgewood Presented by Forcht Bank (gr. III) on Kentucky Oaks Day, and Ken Donworth, Ben McElroy and Wesley Ward's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) winner Hootenanny, one of 51 3-year-olds nominated to the 24th running of the $250,000 American Turf Presented by Ram Trucks (gr. II) on Derby Day.

  

Sixty-one 3-year-olds nominated to the Pat Day Mile include the Todd Pletcher-trained duo of unbeaten Hopeful (gr. I) winner Competitive Edge and Blofeld, unbeaten winner of the Belmont Futurity (gr. II) and Aqueduct's Nashua (gr. II). Others include Bay Shore (gr. II) winner March; San Vicente (gr. II) winner and Bay Shore runner-up Lord Nelson; Southwest (gr, III) runner-up The Truth Or Else; Iroquois (gr. III) runner-up Bold Conquest; Coolmore Lexington (gr. III) runner-up Donworth; Gotham (gr. III) runner-up Tiz Shea D; and Echo Eddie winner Gimme Da Lute.

 

Amerman Racing Stables' defending winner Coffee Clique tops 39 fillies and mares 4-years-old and up made eligible to compete in the 30th running of the $300,000 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Presented by Longines (gr. IIT) on Derby Day. Other nominees include Del Mar Oaks (gr. I) winner Personal Diary; Jenny Wiley (gr. I) winner Hard Not to Like; Cardinal (gr. III) winner Strike Charmer; Modesty (gr. III) winner I'm Already Sexy; Arlington Classic (gr. I) winner Istanford; Dance Smartly (gr. III) winner Overheard; Edgewood winner A Little Bit Sassy; Goldikova (gr. II) winner Filimbi; Matriarch third-place finisher Discreet Marq; and Bayou winner Eden Prairie.

       

The 21st running of the $150,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint (gr. IIIT) on Oaks Day drew 31 nominations that include John Menary and Gail Cox's Something Extra, Rigney Racing's Channel Marker, and Wes Welker's Undrafted—the 1-2-3 finishers in Keeneland's recent Shakertown (gr. IIIT). Also nominated is Vinery Stables' veteran Regally Ready, who won the five-furlong turf race in 2011 and took the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IIT) later that year, and Team Valor International's Speechify, winner of the Mr. Prospector (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.

 

The William Walker attracted 27 3-year-old nominees for its inaugural running. The Pletcher-trained Blofeld, a two-time grade II winner also nominated to the Pat Day Mile, is the most accomplished of nominated horses.  

 

Others nominated to the six-furlong race include the Steve Asmussen-trained duo of Holy Boss, winner of Oaklawn Park's Bachelor, and Cinco Charlie, winner of Churchill Downs' Bashford Manor (gr. III) and stakes races at Laurel Park, Delaware Park, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, and Sunland Park.

 

For a complete list of nominations, click here.