After winning Saturday's Letellier Memorial Stakes with first-time starter Simply Joking (Practical Joke), trainer Whit Beckman struck again with another daughter of Practical Joke in the Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Scratched out of that six-furlong affair on the undercard in favor of the two-turn Untapable, it was Her Laugh (Practical Joke) who got the job done for Beckman in front-running fashion at odds of 9-2, good for 10 points on the Road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. It was 2 1/2 lengths back to favored 'TDN Rising Star' Golden Gamble (Laoban) in second; California Sunset (Quality Road) was third.
Her Laugh broke on top, led the field of eight through fractions of :24.63 and :49 and was never seriously threated by the late rally of the runner-up. Her Laugh previously won by a head at 29-1 in her debut going six furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 17.
“I told Axel (Concepcion) just break and put her where she is comfortable,” Beckman said. “Seeing the fractions, how she was carrying him and how composed she was, I knew we were in the best spot. It was perfect. This day worked out very well.”
Concepcion added, “(Her Laugh) broke good, relaxed very well. I asked at the quarter pole and she responded. I knew she had a lot of talent from working her since she was in Kentucky three months ago. She did it all and I am very grateful for the owners and the trainer for the opportunity.”
Her Laugh becomes the 43rd stakes winner for Practical Joke. The winning Point of Entry mare Truth Goddess had a filly by Sharp Azteca this year and was bred back to Honest Mischief.
UNTAPABLE S., $99,000, Fair Grounds, 12-21, 2yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:43.72, ft.
1–HER LAUGH, 122, f, 2, by Practical Joke
1st Dam: Truth Goddess, by Point of Entry
2nd Dam: Team Hansen, by Unbridled's Song
3rd Dam: Zadkiel, by Saint Ballado
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-Grantley Acres (KY); T-D.
Whitworth Beckman; J-Axel Concepcion. $60,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $102,000.
2–Golden Gamble, 122, f, 2, Laoban–Me and Mine, by
Bernardini. ($80,000 Wlg '22 KEENOV; $200,000 Ylg '23
KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Fern Circle Stables, Cypress Creek
Equine & Magdalena Racing; B-Tuscany Bloodstock (KY);
T-Kenneth G. McPeek. $20,000.
3–California Sunset, 122, f, 2, Quality Road–Regal Beauty, by
Malibu Moon. 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Gary & Mary West;
B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $10,000.
Margins: 2HF, 1, 2 1/4. Odds: 4.50, 1.10, 6.30.
Also Ran: Stable Currency, Drexel Hill, Amarth, Paris Lily, Prima Bella. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
HER LAUGH ($11.00) and @a_concepcion16 dominated the field in the $100,000 Untapable Stakes at @fairgroundsnola. The daughter of Practical Joke (@coolmoreamerica) is trained by Whitworth Beckman and owned by @GrantleyAcres. She scores 10 points for the 2025 Kentucky Oaks! pic.twitter.com/qojwDpsgG8
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) December 21, 2024
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