Charles Fipke homebred Unbridled Forever (Unbridled's Song), winner of Saratoga's Shine Again S. Wednesday, will return to Grade I company for her next start, according to trainer Dallas Stewart. The 4-year-old, who placed in multiple Grade I events last term, will target either the 1 1/8-mile GI Personal Ensign Invitational S. or the seven-furlong GI Ballerina S., both of which are part of the GI Travers S. undercard Aug. 29.
“She's a nice filly. She's classy,” Stewart said of the daughter of 2006 GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Lemons Forever. “She ran into Untapable (Tapit) all last year and she was second to Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat); all Grade I horses. Hopefully, this will be her year.”
Winner of last term's Silverbulletday S., Unbridled Forever finished third to champion Untapable (Tapit) in the Kentucky Oaks and was second to recent GIII Shuvee H. winner Stopchargingmaria in the GI CCA Oaks at the Spa last summer. Eighth to that rival in the GI Alabama S. last August, she was given a brief freshening and returned with a runner-up effort in the GII Indiana Oaks Oct. 4 before finishing fifth to Untapable in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Oct. 31.
The bay was making her belated seasonal bow in the seven-panel Shine Again, where she came charging late to collar last term's runaway GII Prioress S. winner Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast).
“I knew she was going to finish; we just had to get lucky and, hopefully, she would outrun that filly,” Stewart said. “[John Velazquez] gave her a great ride and got her out; that was one good thing. She was in tight and then it opened up and Johnny got her out. She ran a big race to win.”
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