Untapable Wins Mother Goose Stakes

With four straight wins, including the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park on Saturday, Untapable is under the spotlight as one of the season’s most promising racehorses. Ridden by John Velazquez and trained by Steve Asmussen, the three-year-old filly crossed the finish line nine-and-a-quarter lengths in the lead with a time of 1:41.48…

It was the filly’s first race on an unfamiliar track and she handled herself with poise and determination. Following Untapable’s decisive victory, Asmussen reportedly stated that he may consider letting the filly run against the ‘boys’ at Saratoga, if her owner, Ron Winchell of Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, is in agreement.

Other Asmussen-trained horses that crossed the finish line in first place on the weekend include Street Story, Dash to the Flash, Cinco Charlie, and More Than Less. Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet ended with Asmussen clocking up twenty-one wins and earning his 14th training title at the prestigious horseracing venue.

Born in Gettysburg, South Dakota in November 1965, Steve Asmussen followed in his parent’s footsteps when choosing a career in horse training. At the age of sixteen started his racing career as a jockey, but three years later his weight and height disqualified him from that avenue in the horse racing industry, and he turned to training in 1986 in New Mexico. In 2008 he received the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer in a season which saw him win a total of 622 races, a record he broke in 2009 with 623 wins. At that point his career purse earnings exceeded $21 million.

Among Asmussen’s many championship horses are Rachel Alexandra and Curlin. Rachel Alexandra was named American Horse of the Year in 2009, having become the first filly in 85 years to win the Preakness Stakes. She also won the Haskell Invitational against a field of colts, and later the Woodward Stakes in which she was the only mare. Curlin’s many achievements resulted in him being named American Horse of the Year in 2007 and 2008. Other notable horses include Pyro, Kodia Kowboy, Cuvee, Doctor Decherd and Storm Treasure.