Untapable's now more at home at Oaklawn

"I can't remember anything here going that fast," said Jim Hamilton, who has

clocked workouts at Oaklawn since the mid-1980s.

Asmussen said following the breeze -- Untapable's major work for the Apple

Blossom -- that "she needed to do something" because she got a little tired in

the Azeri.

"She needs to run faster," Asmussen said.

In other Oaklawn news:

When the connections of champion Shared Belief (Candy Ride) decided to bypass

Saturday's Oaklawn H. (G2), trainer John Sadler discerned that Hot Springs was

the place for Hard Aces (Hard Spun). The five-year-old finished fourth behind

Shared Belief in the Santa Anita H. (G1) last out after being purchased

privately by Hronis Racing following his dominating win in the Louisiana H. in

mid-January.

"We bought him and then had to wait another week for the flight to get him

out here, so we got him a little too late for the Big 'Cap. I just wish I'd had

him a bit longer before that race," Sadler said. "We thought he ran well, but it

wasn't quite what we were looking for.

"We're definitely still new to each other and we're just getting to know one

another and figure each other out," he said. "He ran well in the Big 'Cap,

although I do feel that he's capable of a bit more."

Hard Aces keeps Victor Espinoza aboard.

"It worked out great because Victor was already going to be there to ride

American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) in the Arkansas Derby (G1) the same day.

He rode him in the Big 'Cap and has been working him, so knows the horse and

that's always a plus," said Sadler, who will be at Oaklawn on Saturday.

Trainer Randy Morse said late Thursday morning that he wasn't sure if his

promising four-year-old Street Strategy (Street Sense) would run in the Oaklawn

'Cap. Street Strategy is doing well physically Morse said, but the gray colt

remains under consideration for the $200,000 Texas Mile (G3) April 24 at Lone

Star Park and the $400,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Street Strategy drew the extreme outside post (10) for the Oaklawn 'Cap, with

regular jockey Calvin Borel named to ride.

"Tough race," Morse said. "Very tough. My horse is just not seasoned. I think

he's a very, very good horse, but I think this is as good a Oaklawn Handicap

we've had in the last 10 years, personally."

Street Strategy has made all five career starts at Oaklawn, winning three

times. His 2014 campaign was cut short after Morse said the colt tore the main

supporting ligament in his stifle in the Rebel S. (G2), a major Kentucky Derby

prep race. Street Strategy won his January 30 comeback race, a first-level

allowance at a mile, by 4 1/4 lengths, then cleared his second allowance

condition by a neck March 8.

Trainer Brad Cox said Thursday morning that multiple stakes winner Carve

(First Samurai) will run in the Oaklawn 'Cap. Carve has also been under

consideration for the Texas Mile.

Now, Cox said, it's possible Carve could run in both races.

"I'm not opposed to running him back in 13 days," Cox said. "He won a Grade 3

running back in 14 days. We'll see what happens."

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