Trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. said that Willis Horton Racing's homebred Tapit Jenallie had to miss the Derby in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 3.
"She's just a little off in her hind end," Milligan noted. "She's too nice of a filly to take a chance on hurting."
Our Pretty Woman, the runner-up of Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), gets drawn into the field from the also-eligible list from scratch.
On April 25, Tapit Jenallie captured her last breeze for the Oaks and did a great job finishing it. On April 29, though, Milligan, who rides the Tapit filly himself every morning, began to notice a problem.
"We did what we could as far as chiropractors, acupuncture, and all of that, but the timeline is pretty short from there to here," Milligan stated.
According to Milligan, he has pretty much made up his mind. May 1. Even though Milligan reported that Tapit Jenallie felt better and loosened up after her Thursday morning jog, he stuck to his guns and declared the scratch shortly after the filly arrived back at the barn.
Tapit Jenallie, a two-time winner in six starts, finished second in the graded Kentucky Oaks preps at Oaklawn Park on March 30 in the Fantasy Stakes (G2) and on February 24 in the Honeybee Stakes (G3). She's not going to play in the Oaks anymore, so Milligan is going to turn her out for 30 days so she can decompress, grow up, and be ready for a fall campaign.
In the Thoroughbred industry, Milligan has worked in almost every capacity imaginable, managing a breeding farm, breaking foals, and competing in races. It wasn't until he took up the conditioning of the filly that nearly got him into the starting gate of the Kentucky Oaks that he decided to resume training. She had drawn post 1.
"It's disheartening," Milligan remarked. "To get to this level my first year back training after 30 years was really a neat deal, but I'd rather do what's best for her."
NEXT COMPLETION
Courtlandt Farms' Our Pretty Woman, who draws from the list of others who are also eligible, is the recipient of the scratch.
"A Rich Strike moment," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "If you get the opportunity, take advantage of it."
Naturally, Rich Strike entered the Kentucky Derby (G1) field and overcame great odds to win the race. However, horseplayers are likely to back Our Pretty Woman as an interesting addition to the competition. Following two straightforward victories, she finished a strong second in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on March 30 to Kentucky Oaks morning-line favourite Tarifa. She led that race into its final stretch.
Asmussen thinks she has a solid opportunity, and there has been a lot of talk about her having a great chance should she draw in around the Churchill Downs backstretch this week.
"She's a lightly raced filly that obviously has got a tremendous amount of talent," Asmussen stated. "There's a pretty big chance of rain Friday, she's 2-for-2 on an off track. I definitely feel that she has shown and indicated here by her training that she is going to move forward."
The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro will have to start from the very outside after being removed from the list of those who are also eligible. Given that she has led at the first call in her last two attempts, she will also add another early runner to the Oaks. She placed slightly off the pace in her debut victory.
Although Asmussen stated that the starting position is not optimal for the 1 1/8-mile distance, jockey Joel Rosario should be able to move into whatever place he desires due to her tactical quickness.