Forever Unbridled done for year, will wage 2017 campaign

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Forever Unbridled loomed boldly in midstretch of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff for a fleeting moment last weekend at Santa Anita. The epic duel between Beholder and Songbird would have been foiled if she had surged past them.

“It did look like she might do it there for a second, didn’t it?” said Dallas Stewart, who trains Forever Unbridled for owner-breeder Charles Fipke.

But Forever Unbridled could do no better than third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by the top two.

“Those were two great horses trained by two Hall of Famers,” Stewart said. “We gave it our best shot.”

Still, it was another terrific effort by Forever Unbridled, who is finished for 2016 but will campaign next year at 5.

“We’re still figuring out what we’re going to do with her, but no, she won’t run again this year,” Stewart said. “Our goal will be to get back to the Distaff at Del Mar next year. We’d love to get ‘em next year. For now, we might turn her out for a little while and then have her sent down to me in New Orleans later on.”

Forever Unbridled had an outstanding 2016. From six starts, she had three wins, topped by the Grade 1 Apple Blossom and Grade 1 Beldame, along with one second and two thirds for earnings of $1,280,000.

Tom’s Ready, Stewart’s other Breeders’ Cup starter who shipped in from Churchill Downs, was no factor finishing fifth at 30-1 in the Dirt Mile. The 3-year-old colt also is finished racing for the year, although he’ll probably ship with the rest of the Stewart stable later this month to Fair Grounds.

“Our main goal with him next year will be the Met Mile,” Stewart said. “We’ll try to keep him in the range of one-mile races, so no, he won’t run in something like the [1 1/8-mile] New Orleans Handicap.”

Tom’s Ready, owned by GMB Racing of Tom and Gayle Benson, finishes the year with two graded wins [Grade 2 Woody Stephens and Grade 3 Ack Ack] and earnings of $612,047 from eight starts.

The Stewart horses were part of a contingent of about 20 Kentucky-based horses to make the trip west for the Breeders’ Cup. Mark Casse sent the most [seven], led by Juvenile winner Classic Empire, Mile runner-up Tepin, and Juvenile Fillies runner-up Valadorna. Other big races were turned in by Not This Time [second in the Juvenile for Dale Romans] and Gun Runner [second in the Dirt Mile for Steve Asmussen].

◗ With the Breeders’ Cup in the rear-view mirror, a major focus at Churchill this fall becomes the traditional end-of-meet features, led by the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Nov. 25. The list of early prospects for the $500,000 Clark is led by Noble Bird, although racing officials are hoping that BC Classic runners Hoppertunity and Effinex might wheel back. Nominations are due Saturday.

The Clark is one of six graded stakes on closing weekend. The 21-day meet runs through Nov. 27.

◗ The highlight of the coming weekend at Churchill is the Grade 3, $100,000 Commonwealth Turf, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. The 2016 Queen’s Plate winner, Sir Dudley Digges, was among those entered, along with Surgical Strike, One Mean Man, Zapperini, and a handful of others.

◗ Katie Clawson is making plans to leave the Kentucky circuit to ride this winter at Aqueduct in New York. The 19-year-old apprentice entered this week at Churchill with four career wins, meaning her next victory would give her one full year to continue riding with a weight allowance.

◗ Ontrack fans here Saturday can expect to see a lot of red and black attire. Louisville will host Wake Forest at nearby Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in college football after the program ends, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. Eastern.