Forever Unbridled starts training toward Pegasus World Cup
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Forever Unbridled, whose victory in the Nov. 3 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar surely clinched a divisional Eclipse Award, returned to training Saturday at Churchill.
“I think you can take on the world with her, that’s how good she is,” trainer Dallas Stewart said.
Stewart said that owner-breeder Charles Fipke “has really laid out a nice plan for her moving forward if she stays healthy.”
Forever Unbridled is expected to make her 6-year-old debut versus male rivals in the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park. She will head to Fair Grounds in New Orleans by month’s end with the rest of the Stewart stable.
Reride to represent Asmussen
Wheeling back in a little more than two weeks would be a bit much for Principe Guilherme, a flashy debut winner here last Friday for Steve Asmussen. So when the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club is run here Nov. 25 as part of a huge closing weekend, Asmussen will be represented solely by Reride, unbeaten in two starts.
The Kentucky Jockey Club, along with its sister race, the Grade 2 Golden Rod, are among six graded stakes set for Nov. 23-25. Nominations for all six, led by the Grade 1 Clark Handicap on Nov. 24, were released Sunday. Likely starters for the Clark include Diversify, Hoppertunity, The Player, and Honorable Duty.
Principe Guilherme, who earned a 87 Beyer Speed Figure, will be among the Asmussen horses shipping soon to Fair Grounds.
Sensitive favored on turf
Racing resumes here Wednesday following a two-day break with a modest program of 10 races, as only one allowance (race 9) is on a card that starts at the usual 1 p.m. Eastern. It’s a $65,000 second-level route scheduled for turf, although a forecast of rain for Wednesday could send it to the main track.
On turf, a 3-year-old filly named Sensitive surely will be favored for jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Brad Cox, with Lilly’s Dream the likely second choice. However, if the race has to be transferred to the dirt, Stonetacular will become the horse to beat as she looks to improve over a needed last start at Keeneland for Neil Howard.
◗ Dale Romans edged past Bill Mott on the all-time Churchill trainer standings with his 703rd winner when Storm Runner captured the sixth race Sunday. Mott, with 702 wins, remains active here, so he could regain his spot at the top. The 4 1/2-length maiden score by Storm Runner came exactly 30 years after Romans won his first Churchill race on Nov. 12, 1987, with Final Destroyer in a $5,000 claiming race.
◗ With 11 of 21 fall programs in the books, Corey Lanerie holds a 20-10 lead over Ricardo Santana Jr. atop the jockey standings. The race for top trainer is much tighter, with Asmussen (6 wins) leading over Cox and Eddie Kenneally (5 each), followed by McPeek and Chris Hartman (4 each).