Willis Horton Racing homebred Tapit Jenallie will be scratched from the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (G1), trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. said May 2.
"She's just a little off in her hind end," Milligan said. "She's too nice of a filly to take a chance on hurting."
With the scratch, Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) runner-up Our Pretty Woman draws into the field from the also-eligible list.
Tapit Jenallie recorded her final breeze for the Oaks April 25 and came out of it well. However, Milligan, who rides the Tapit filly himself every morning, started noticing an issue the morning of April 29.
"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 said.
Milligan said he pretty well made up his mind May 1. Tapit Jenallie still went out to jog Thursday morning, which Milligan said she felt better and loosened up, but he stuck to his decision and announced the scratch soon after the filly returned to the barn.
A two-time winner in six starts, Tapit Jenallie placed in both of Oaklawn Park's graded Kentucky Oaks preps, the Feb. 24 Honeybee Stakes (G3) and March 30 Fantasy Stakes (G2). Now that she will not participate in the Oaks, Milligan plans to turn her out for 30 days, giving her a chance to relax, mature, and freshen up for a fall campaign.
Milligan has done just about every job imaginable in the Thoroughbred industry, including running a breeding farm, breaking babies, and riding races. He just recently returned to training when he picked up conditioning of the filly who almost got him in the Kentucky Oaks starting gate. She had drawn post 1.
"It's disheartening," Milligan said. "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 Filly Up
The beneficiary of the scratch is Courtlandt Farms' Our Pretty Woman, who draws in off the also-eligible list.
"A Rich Strike moment," said trainer Steve Asmussen. "If you get the opportunity, take advantage of it."
Rich Strike of course drew into the 2022 Kentucky Derby (G1) field and won the race at long odds. But Our Pretty Woman figures to see some support from horseplayers as an intriguing addition to the field. After easy wins in her first two starts, she ran a solid second to Kentucky Oaks morning-line favorite Tarifa in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) March 30. She led into the stretch of that race.
There has been much chatter around the Churchill Downs backstretch throughout the week about her having a strong chance should she draw in, and Asmussen believes she has a good shot.
"She's a lightly raced filly that obviously has got a tremendous amount of talent," Asmussen said. "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."
Coming off the also-eligible list, the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro will be forced to start from the far outside. She'll also inject another early runner into the Oaks as she's led at the first call in her previous two efforts. In her maiden win she rated just off the pace.
Asmussen said the starting position is not ideal for the 1 1/8-mile distance, but her tactical speed should carry jockey Joel Rosario into any position he wants.
Should another scratch occur prior to Friday morning, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Candied, trained by Todd Pletcher, would be next in line.
