The distinctive maroon and white racing colors of Winchell Thoroughbreds are frequently showcased during the sport’s most prestigious events. Established by Verne Winchell—creator of the famed donut empire bearing his name—and carried forward by his widow, Joan, alongside their son, Ron, the family has firmly entrenched itself as a powerhouse in modern American horse racing. Over the years, prominent champions such as Gun Runner, Tapit, Epicenter, and Gunite have competed under their banner.
Adding to their prestigious collection, their homebred mare Untapable earned top honors at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships. She built upon her triumph in the 2014 Kentucky Oaks by capturing the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, capping off a racing career that mirrored the excellence of her exceptional lineage.
Following the initial two furlongs of the 2004 Wood Memorial Stakes, the gray/roan son of Pulpit trailed the entire 11-horse field; by the four-furlong point, he had advanced only to ninth. However, executing a powerful drive down the stretch, Tapit surged past Master David and Eddington to capture his marquee Grade 1 title. Upon entering stallion duties later that season with a modest summary of three victories from six outings, hardly anyone anticipated that Tapit would evolve into a dominant, flagship sire.
Following a stellar campaign in 2010 by Paddy O’Prado—who placed third in the Kentucky Derby before securing several graded stakes wins—the Winchell family bred his dam, Fun House, to Tapit at Gainesway Farm. Eleven months thereafter, on February 13, 2011, she gave birth to a bay female foal. Christened Untapable, the filly was placed under the care of Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen.
Untapable displayed a strong-willed disposition right from her earliest days, a trait highlighted in 2013 by the Winchells’ racing manager, David Fiske, during an interview with BloodHorse: “She always possessed a bit of a fiery temperament; haltering her was a challenge whether in her stall or out in the paddock. She preferred doing things strictly on her terms,” he remarked.
That spirited nature paid immediate dividends when she dictated terms from gate to wire during her maiden debut at Churchill Downs, securing a one-length victory under jockey Rosie Napravnik.
An intended start in Saratoga’s Adirondack Stakes was scrapped when a sudden case of colic kept the daughter of Tapit sidelined in her stall. Redirected to Louisville, she contested the 1 1/16-mile Pocahontas Stakes against seven rivals. Reunited with Napravnik, Untapable tracked the early pace, swung wide into the lane, and finished strongly to prevail by a half-length. Despite a bumpy trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies followed by a third-place effort in the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet, the filly concluded her freshman campaign with two wins and a third across four starts, establishing a strong foundation for her upcoming sophomore year.
Targeting the 2014 Kentucky Oaks, Asmussen mapped out a New Orleans prep campaign for Untapable, launching it in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes—an event honoring one of his former championship fillies. Untapable crushed her opponents by 9 ½ lengths before delivering a commanding 7 ¾-length victory in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks. She subsequently headed to Churchill Downs in peak condition to challenge a formidable lineup in the Oaks.
Untapable entered the gate as the even-money choice in a 13-horse lineup. Her primary rivals featured 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Ria Antonia, Silverbulletday Stakes winner Unbridled Forever, and Gazelle Stakes winner My Miss Sophia. A pre-race delay occurred when Empress of Midway reared up in her stall and was scratched, forcing officials to unload and reload the entire field. Undeterred by the disruption, Untapable settled in fourth position behind front-running Sugar Shock, advanced rounding the far turn, and assumed command coming off the bend. She swiftly opened up a two-length cushion over her pursuers, eventually crossing the line 4 ½ lengths clear.
This victory marked the second Kentucky Oaks title for the Winchell family, who previously won with Summerly in 2005, as well as the second for Napravnik, who piloted Believe You Can to victory in 2012.
Untapable backed up her Oaks win with an effortless performance over a compact group in the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park in late June. Having asserted complete control over her division, she put her spotless 2014 record on the line at Monmouth Park against male three-year-olds in the Haskell Invitational Stakes. Sent off as the post-time favorite, her journey was compromised from the outset by pre-race distractions and gate contact, followed by a wide trip that cost her valuable ground. She ended up fifth behind Bayern, the eventual winner of that year’s Pennsylvania Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic.
Much like Bayern, Untapable also traveled to Parx Racing for her next start; however, she returned to female company in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes, easily outclassing her seven rivals. Asmussen then dispatched the daughter of Tapit to California for the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, marking her first trial against older females at nine furlongs. The stellar group featured Grade 1 winners Close Hatches, Iotapa, Belle Gallantey, and Don’t Tell Sophia, along with familiar rivals Ria Antonia and Unbridled Forever. Biding her time in sixth through the opening three-quarters of a mile, Napravnik unleashed Untapable along the far turn, fanning wide to turn into Santa Anita’s homestretch with a narrow advantage over Iotapa. Untapable sealed her near-flawless sophomore campaign with a 1 ¼-length Distaff triumph, securing the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly.
Following the race, Napravnik stunned observers by announcing her retirement from riding to begin a family alongside her husband, Joe Sharp, who trained Grade 1 winner Girvin. Untapable, however, remained in training and embarked on a 2015 campaign.
Returning as a four- and five-year-old, Untapable contested top-level events including Oaklawn Park’s Apple Blossom Handicap, Saratoga’s Personal Ensign Stakes, and Keeneland’s Spinster Stakes, though she fell short of regaining the brilliant form of her championship year. Across nine additional starts, she recorded a single victory in the 2015 Apple Blossom alongside multiple graded stakes placements. The Winchell family officially retired her following the 2016 Fleur de Lis Handicap, booking her to Frankel for her initial mating.
Following a magnificent racing career that added multiple Grade 1 trophies—most notably the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff—to the Winchell colors, Untapable was honored with a namesake stakes event at Kentucky Downs. The Franklin, Kentucky facility is co-owned by Ron Winchell in partnership with Mark Falcone.
