Forever Unbridled became the second Grade I winner for her GI Kentucky Oaks-winning dam with a mild upset of champion Untapable (Tapit) in the Apple Blossom. With Hall of Famer John Velazquez in from New York to ride, the bay broke sharply and settled to track from third alongside GISW “TDN Rising Star” Tara's Tango as the 2014 Kentucky Oaks winner clocked comfortable opening splits of :24.06 and :48.10, while closely shadowed by longshot Streamline. Sidling up alongside the top two as they hit the quarter-pole in 1:12.45, Forever Unbridled let Streamline take command for just a moment from a fading Untapable before the Fipke homebred surged right on by to score a decisive victory.
“It's great to be back at Oaklawn,” commented winning trainer Dallas Stewart. “I spent a lot of time her working for [D.] Wayne [Lukas] and he was right here with me today. She ran great today and beat a bunch of great fillies. She's a wonderful filly. We've got great hopes for the rest of the year.”
“We got a nice position into the first turn once I got her to the outside,” Velazquez remarked. “She was in the bridle the whole way around. I wanted to put a little pressure on the horse who was second [Streamline] so she'd put a little pressure on the horse who was in front [Untapable]. I know she's a nice horse and we didn't want to let them go too easy either. My horse was doing it easy. I didn't have to ask her to do anything. By the time we came to the last turn I kind of let her out a little bit and she kind of got lost a little. I took my time and let her get engaged in the bridle again. When she got into the bridle in the lane, I showed her the whip and she responded right away. She's a filly that gets better and better with each start. I'm glad I got to ride her today.”
Forever Unbridled spent all of last winter chasing Eclipse finalist I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings) around the Fair Grounds, finishing second in the Silverbulletday S. and third in both the GIII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Fading to 11th in the Kentucky Oaks last May, the bay was fifth in the seven-furlong GII Raven Run S. at Keeneland Oct. 17 and returned to the winner's circle for the first time in 11 months with a narrow defeat of last weekend's GIII Top Flight H. winner Carrumba (Bernardini) in Aqueduct's GIII Comely S. Nov. 28. She entered this test off a victory in the GIII Houston Ladies Classic S. Jan. 30 and displayed a series of speedy drills in the interim.
The winner's dam Lemons Forever, trained and owned by Stewart in partnership with Willis Horton, came flying late to capture the 2006 Kentucky Oaks at odds of 47-1 and sold for $2.5-million at the following year's Keeneland November sale. Her 5-year-old daughter Unbridled Forever was reinvented as a sprinter last term with outstanding results, winning Saratoga's GI Ballerina S. Lemons Forever has since produced two colts by Medaglia d'Oro, the 3-year-old Forever d'Oro and an unnamed yearling, and was bred back to that sire.
Friday, Oaklawn Park
APPLE BLOSSOM H.-GI, $600,000, OP, 4-15, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.08, ft.
1–&FOREVER UNBRIDLED, 117, f, 4, by Unbridled's Song
1st Dam: Lemons Forever (GISW, $648,940), by Lemon Drop Kid
2nd Dam: Critikola (Arg), by Tough Critic
3rd Dam: Hola Keats (Arg), by Keats
O/B-Charles Fipke (KY); T-Dallas Stewart; J-John R. Velazquez.
$360,000. Lifetime Record: 10-4-2-2, $911,600. *full to
Unbridled Forever, GISW, $805,257.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick
Rating: A+.
[bullet ad=”cecil-seaman-biomechanical-mating-recommendation”][bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-training-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Streamline, 115, f, 4, Straight Line–Love Handles, by Sahm.
O-Nancy A. Vanier and Cartwright Thoroughbreds V LLC;
B-Nancy Vanier (IL); T-Brian Williamson. $120,000.
3–Tara's Tango, 119, f, 4, Unbridled's Song–Scarlet Tango, by
French Deputy. 'TDN Rising Star' O-Stonestreet Stables LLC;
B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Jerry
Hollendorfer. $60,000.
[bullet ad=”stonestreet-bredraised”]Margins: 2 1/4, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 4.20, 19.90, 2.40.
Also Ran: Untapable, Theogony, Call Pat. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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