Into Champagne gets in a final tuneup below the Twin Spires. (Coady Media/Chuchill Downs)
Tapit Jenallie Scratches, Our Pretty Woman Draws Into Ky. Oaks
Longines Kentucky Oaks Update/Edited
Willis Horton Racing’s Tapit Jenallie was withdrawn from Friday’s Oaks because of a slight injury, trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. said Thursday morning.
“She’s having a little problem with her back end, and we felt like she’s just too nice of a filly to do anything detrimental to her health,” Milligan said.
The trainer said that he first noticed something was a little off the last couple of days, but that the situation didn’t clear up.
“It’s very disappointing, very disheartening, but that’s how this game is,” he said. “She’s been doing really well and been training really well. It showed up one morning while I was galloping her, and it’s there.”
Courtlandt Farm’s Our Pretty Woman drew into the Longines Kentucky Oaks field following the defection.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Our Pretty Woman galloped about 1 ½ miles Thursday at 5:30 a.m.
The Medaglia d’Oro filly has two victories and a second place to Kentucky Oaks contender Tarifa in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Milligan said regarding Tapit Jenallie’s scratch that they’ll regroup and plan out an altered racing schedule for her 3-year-old season.
“We’re going to give her a little more time, maybe a 30-day break, let her eat some grass, then re-evaluate and see what we need to do,” said Milligan, who was training Tapit Jenallie to be his first Oaks starter.
The Horton stable has campaigned such Eclipse Award champions as Will Take Charge and Take Charge Brandi, and 2006 Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever.
“He was fixing to retire on me, to go traveling with his wife,” Horton said of his trainer. “I just thought there was something better for him to do. We’ve had a good relationship, and he’s horseman so deep. Eddie’s first class, he’s on the horse every day, how can you get any better?”
In addition to Lemons Forever, the Horton stable finished third in the 2021 Oaks with Will’s Secret.
Six Column Stables, Randy Bloch, Jim Gladden, Mike Davis and Michael Steele’s Into Champagne was on the track Thursday at the 7:30 a.m. training time for trainer Ian Wilkes.
“She galloped about a mile-and-three-eighths with Adelso Orantes,” Wilkes said. “All good with her.”
Jockey Julian Leparoux will ride Into Champagne, who drew post 10 but will move in one spot with the scratch of Tapit Jenallie. She was bet down to 36-1 after two days of advance wagering.
After winning on debut June 16 at Ellis Park, Into Champagne followed with a victory an. 7 in the Glitter Woman Stakes at Gulfstream after a seven-month layoff.
The Into Mischief filly finished half a length behind Fiona’s Magic in the Davona Dale for second and, after taking the lead and setting the pace, Into Champagne settled for third in the Gulfstream Park Oaks March 30.
She has finished in the money in her four career starts with Leparoux.
Into Champagne had visited to the track Wednesday at the 7:30 a.m. training time for trainer Ian Wilkes.
“She galloped about a mile-and-three-eighths with her exercise rider, Adelso Orantes,” Wilkes said. Later in the morning, he said, she was going to be schooling in the paddock.
Jockey Julian Leparoux likes his chances in the Oaks with Into Champagne. The filly drew the post 10 and was bet down to 34-1 in advance wagering Tuesday.
“She doesn’t have any bad races, she’s always run good, so hopefully we get the trip, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
The 150th Longines Kentucky Oaks Field
