Notes: Trainer Asmussen never lost faith in Untapable

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Steve Asmussen continued to marvel the morning after Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable captured Friday's $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff by 1 1/4 lengths over Don't Tell Sophia.

Untapable captured her first four starts of the year by a combined 31 lengths, the shortest margin being 4 1/2 lengths in the Kentucky Oaks. A fifth-place showing in Monmouth Park's Haskell against males and a length victory in Parx's $1 million Cotillion made some question if the zip had been taken off the filly's fastball.

Not Asmussen.

"At no point do you doubt her talent," he said. "She is truly special. With the target being the Oaks when the year started, and her running so brilliantly there, you take a step back. The next target was the Distaff, and she regained her Oaks form at the ideal time."

Not that he wasn't worried early in the race.

"I was definitely concerned early, watching Goldencents hold on earlier in the day" in the Dirt Mile after setting a blazing pace, Asmussen said. "Speed on the inside was not a disadvantage. She was awfully wide going into the first turn. Down the backside, Close Hatches moved up on her outside very easily. Rosie (Napravnik) chose to let her go by. But past the half-mile pole, you could see her pull Rosie forward and the filly went about her business well."

Asmussen's main string currently is based at Churchill Downs. But he sent Untapable and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Tapiture to Santa Anita the day after they ran in Philadelphia to prepare forFriday's races.

"Tapiture ran a very game race," Asmussen said. "Untapable coming through with a brilliant victory in the Distaff, very proud of the horse, very proud of the staff -- both being 3-year-olds, spring of the year and concentrating on the Oaks and the Derby, to put together the fall campaign that they have and put in such big races when it mattered so much."

Tapiture and Untapable will ship to Kentucky Nov. 11, likely getting a break at owner Ron Winchell's farm near Lexington before joining Asmussen's major string in New Orleans for the winter.

"Tapiture, from Derby time to Breeders' Cup time is a stronger, more attractive version," Asmussen said. "With a little break if he'll fill out a bit and stuff, we might plan on targeting the Classic next year instead of the Dirt Mile."

Sims thrilled with Don't Tell Sophia

Keeneland's Juddmonte Spinster winner Don't Tell Sophia was already back in Lexington the morning after rallying from last to finish second in the Distaff. Joining her on the 2:30 a.m. flight was fourth-place Ria Antonia, the Spinster runner-up trained by Louisville's Tom Amoss.

"She ran really game," Sims said. "It's just such a short stretch from the turn to the wire, but she was gaining with every stride."

Sims demurred from the suggestion that he might consider running Don't Tell Sophia in the Grade I Clark Handicap against males Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs in an effort to secure the older female championship. "Probably not," he said with a laugh, "because I'm looking at next year and I want to give her a bit of breather."

With the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland next year, Sims, who co-owns the mare with Jerry Namy, would love to run the Congaree mare at age 6.

"We'll evaluate her, but if she tells me she wants to run next year….," he said. "She's getting better with time, so that's a possibility."

Don't Tell Sophia, whom Sims bought as a yearling for $1,000 at Keeneland's September sale, became a millionaire at $1,339,295 with the $360,000 payday – the largest of her career. The mare hasn't been worse than third in her last 14 races, dating back two years.

Didn't add up

Calculator was scratched from the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the morning of the race, because of a lingering foot injury.

"The foot has been bothering him the last couple of days," said Ruben Albarado, assistant to trainer Peter Miller. We consulted with the vet and the blacksmith and decided not to go. We need a couple of weeks to fix him."

People numbers

Attendance for Friday's Breeders' Cup races was 37,205, for a 10 race card that included four Breeders' Cup races, according to Santa Anita officials. That represents a 3.8 percent increase over last year, when 35,833 were officially counted.

Friday's total handle for the 10 races was $45,815,112, down 11% over last year, when $51,521,146 went through the windows on an 11 race card that included five Breeders' Cup races.

Contributing: Steve Myrick