Forever Unbridled edges favorite for first stakes win in Comely

Forever Unbridled, who spent the first part of the year giving futile chase to I’m a Chatterbox in three stakes, broke through with a stakes victory of her own when she edged Carrumba after a long drive Saturday in the Grade 3, $300,000 Comely Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Freshened by Dallas Stewart after finishing off the board in the Kentucky Oaks, Forever Unbridled was stretching back out after running a close fifth in the Raven Run, and she always was forwardly placed under John Velazquez while positioned three wide just off the early pacesetter Temper Mint Patty and the 2-1 favorite Carrumba.

Carrumba poked a head in front midway around the far turn and was quickly set upon by Forever Unbridled as the pair matched strides through the stretch.

Forever Unbridled ($11.80) prevailed by a head over a stubborn Carrumba, who was making her stakes debut after three straight wins. It was seven lengths back to Wonder Gal in third.

“I knew [Carrumba] is a fighter, so I was just waiting for the last second to get on her,” said Velazquez. “I waited until the three-sixteenths pole to get on her, and she put up a good fight. I just wanted to wait, wait, wait and then surprise her. If I went too quick by her, I knew she would come back and beat me, so I waited a little longer and then surprised her in the end. It worked out.”

It was the first win for Forever Unbridled since her maiden victory last December. Earlier this year, her full sister, Unbridled Forever, also bred and owned by Charles Fipke and trained by Stewart, won the Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga.

“She has been a solid horse all year,” said Stewart. “Ran second and third to I’m a Chatterbox a few times. We gave her a break after the Oaks, and she’d been training great. She came up there ready to run. There are a lot of Grade 1s next year at Saratoga, and I think she’s capable if we handle it right.”