Waggley (blinkers off) brings 3-for-3 mark into $750K Untapable

Dual Graded winner Mercante looks to get back in win column in $500,000 Tapit

Kentucky Downs stakes advance by publicist Ryan Martin (Coady Media/Devin Hall photo of Waggley beating the boys to win Churchill Downs’ $250,000 Kentucky Juvenile on April 29)

FRANKLIN, KY (August 26, 2026) – Undefeated 2-year-old filly Waggley brings a spotless 3-for-3 record to a field of 12 juvenile fillies in Sunday’s seventh running of the $750,000 Untapable going 6 ½ furlongs.

Cross-entered in Saturday’s $750,000 Keeneland Sales Juvenile Sprint against the boys, trainer Wesley Ward is opting towards running Waggley in Sunday’s race.

Owned by Ten Broeck Farm, Waggley has won all three of her lifetime starts, which include a pair of stakes wins against males. Following a victory in the Kentucky Juvenile in late April at Churchill Downs, she captured the last out Prairie Gold Juvenile on July 11 at Prairie Meadows by 4 ¾ lengths. In her career debut at Keeneland, she gave first-crop sire Life Is Good his first winner. 

Ward noted the troubled trip she endured in her stakes debut. 

“There were a lot of factors in that race,” Ward said. “She came away a little slow and then going into the first turn, she clipped heels and was able to pick herself back up and then came around and off she went. She won, but it wasn’t as impressive as her following race.”

Waggley, who raced with blinkers in each of her starts, will race on Sunday with the blinkers off.

“I like to keep the blinkers on them at first so they’re looking straight down the track, but now that they’re seasoned they don’t need them as much,” Ward said. “This way we don’t have to center in on her speed. The blinkers usually put speed into the horses, but when you take the blinkers off they can go further and it allows them to relax a little better.”

Jose Ortiz, a two-time meet-leading rider, will pilot Waggley  from post 3. 

Holy Cow Stable’s Seneca Park [post 2, Brian Hernandez, Jr.] will try to build on a debut victory going 5 ½ furlongs at Ellis Park for trainer Dallas Stewart. The daughter of leading first-crop sire Golden Pal won her first start in gate-to-wire fashion building on her advantage through each point of call en route to a four-length victory. 

Jose D’Angelo, trainer of last year’s Grade 2 Music City victress Shisospicy, will seek more Kentucky Downs glory with Michael Dubb and Michael Rosen’s Severely Overpayin [post 4, Flavien Prat]. A daughter of first-crop sire Highly Motivated, she will be making her first start since her triumphant career debut on July 25 at Gulfstream Park, which she won by 4 ½ lengths. 

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, who conditioned the race’s namesake, sends out Washton [post 12, Keith Asmussen] for her turf debut. In May, the daughter of Mitole won an off-the-turf maiden in her career debut going five furlongs at Churchill Downs, before a distant seventh in the Grade 3 Adirondack on August 2 at Saratoga. She is owned by Leland Ackerly Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia. 

Completing the field are Graded stakes-placed Luminous Beauty [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione]; debut winners Gone and Plenty [post 6, Ben Curtis], Party Mix [post 8, Umberto Rispoli], Holiday Weekend [post 10, Jaime Torres], and Epernay [post 11, Jane Elliot]; Just Peachy [post 1, Cristian Torres], and Estardotoo [post 9, Marcelino Pedroza, Jr.]. Master Queen [post 13, Luis Fuenmayor] is entered as also eligible. Lexi’s Charm [post 7, Luis Saez] will run in Wednesday’s Bolton Landing at Saratoga, and will scratch from Sunday’s race. 

The Untapable honors Winchell Thoroughbreds’ 2014 Eclipse Champion 3-Year-Old Filly, who won that year’s Kentucky Oaks, Mother Goose, and Cotillion before defeating older fillies and mares in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She completed her career with earnings of $3,926,625, making her the all-time richest female by the elite sire Tapit. 

Carded as the penultimate Race 10 on Sunday’s 11-race program, the Untapable has a scheduled post time of 6:14 PM CT. 

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Carl Pollard’s two-time Graded stakes winner Mercante will try to regain his winning form when facing a full field of 14 in the 12th running of the $500,000 Tapit, a 1 1/16-mile restricted stakes for 3-year-olds and upward which have not won a stakes race this year. 

The 6-year-old son of Gun Runner out of 2000 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Caressing won last year’s Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Classic over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park and the Grade 3 Arlington on the Churchill Downs turf course. Winless in four starts this year, he ran two close seconds at Graded level this season in this year’s Kentucky Cup Classic and Grade 2 Wise Dan at Churchill Downs.  

Two-time Kentucky Downs leading rider Florent Geroux will ride Mercante from post 8. 

Plensa [post 14, Axel Concepcion] seeks his first win since last year’s Gun Runner at Kentucky Downs for trainer Rusty Arnold. Owned by Mill Ridge Farm and Frank Garrison, the 4-year-old son of Caravaggio will look to improve off a last out fifth in a Saratoga allowance optional claimer. 

EGL-One Racing’s West Hollywood [post 10, Victor Carrasco] will make his debut for the barn of trainer Amelia Green. The 5-year-old son of Uncle Mo attempts his first win since his 2026 debut going one mile over the Fair Grounds turf in February, and his first stakes win since taking the Grade 3 Saranac at Saratoga in 2024.

Mrs. Firtiani Hay’s English-trained Ancient Rome [post 3, Ben Curtis] will return to Kentucky Downs for the first time in two years for trainer Charlie Hills. The veteran 7-year-old gelding won the Grade 3 Mint Millions in 2023, and finished seventh in the following year’s edition. 

Freddy Lewis, Jr.’s Smokey Mandate [post 9, Flavien Prat] will go for two straight victories for all-time Kentucky Downs leading trainer Mike Maker. The 6-year-old son of Strong Mandate won a third-level allowance in frontrunning fashion last out going 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. He makes his first start at Kentucky Downs since a third-place finish in the 2023 Gun Runner. 

Completing the field are Three-time winners I Know I Know [post 1, Keith Asmussen], Native Runner [post 2, Cristian Torres], Clever Mischief [post 4, Tyler Gaffalione], and Baby Max[post 5, Adam Beschizza]; stakes-winners Lambeth [post 6, Jose Ortiz], and Abrumar [post 11, Micah Husbands]; Graded stakes winner Hiding in Honduras [post 7, Jaime Torres]; Graded stakes-placed Kentucky Derby alumni Flying Mohawk [post 12, Luis Saez]; and multiple stakes-winner Vote No [post 13, Umberto Rispoli].

The Tapit honors Winchell Thoroughbreds’ prolific sire whose progeny includes a list of Champions, Classic winners, as well as sires. A Grade 1-winner, Tapit’s most notable progeny includes 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, Eclipse Champion 2YO and 3YO Essential Quality, as well as influential sires like Constitution, Tonalist, and the late Frosted. 

The Tapit is Race 9 on Sunday’s card with a scheduled 5:41 PM CT post time. First post for Sunday is 12:25 PM CT. 

The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kentuckydownsracing8897. NBC Sports also will provide live coverage of Opening Day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, September 5 during the same time slot.