Champion Untapable (Tapit–Fun House, by Prized) has been officially retired from racing, owner Ron Winchell announced Sunday evening.
“We were hoping for a little more this year, but it's hard to be sad when you reflect back on her 3-year-old campaign,” Winchell told the TDN. “She was a truly great one and I'm just honored to have been part of it.”
Following a debut win at Churchill Downs with a victory in the 2013 GII Pocahontas S., Untapable won six out of seven starts as a 3-year-old. Capturing the 2014 GIII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Fair Grounds Oaks by a combined 17 1/4 lengths, the Winchell homebred was hammered down to even-money for the GI Kentucky Oaks and ran to her odds with a very impressive 4 1/2-length victory.
Demolishing the field by 9 1/4 lengths in the GI Mother Goose S., she suffered her first and only defeat of the season when fifth to subsequent GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Bayern (Offlee Wild) when facing males for the first time in Monmouth Park's GI Haskell Invitational S. Back to winning ways in the GI Cotillion S. at Parx, she sealed the deal on the Eclipse award for top sophomore filly with a decisive score in that year's GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Santa Anita.
Untapable scored just one victory in 2015, capturing the Oaklawn's GI Apple Blossom H., but hit the board in each of her six starts that season, including the GI Personal Ensign H. and GI Juddmonte Spinster S., which she lost by just a neck.
Withdrawn from a title defense in the Distaff due to a fever, the Steve Asmussen trainee was collared late and forced to settle for second when making her 2016 debut in Oaklawn's GII Azeri S. Mar.
“She embodies everything that is represented by our family,” Winchell remarked. “We bred her and to have Tapit as her sire side, who we raced and retained ownership in, and the female side goes way back as far as my dad. To have one that you bred win the Oaks and the Breeders' Cup in the same year, it's what you dream about.”
Untapable, who is a half-sister to GISW sire Paddy O'Prado (El Prado {Ire}) retires with a record of 20-9-5-2 and earnings of $3,926,625. The 5-year-old has a 2-year-old full-sister named Untapped, a yearling full-sister and a full-brother born Apr. 26 of this year.
“We haven't thought about breeding plans yet,” Winchell commented. “Before yesterday, I was hoping that we would keep running her. She has done so much for us, I think it's the best thing for her to go and enjoy the rest of the year out in the pasture before she starts career number two.”
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