Champion Forever Unbridled is scheduled to begin her journey to the $10 million Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) on Monday, and the Dallas Stewart recorded her final work at Fair Grounds ahead of that departure date.
The bay mare breezed a bullet :59.60 over Fair Grounds’ fast main track on Thursday, clocking splits of :12.40, :22.40, :36.60 and :48.20. The Charles Fipke homebred galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.60.
“That finishes up our works here,” Stewart said. “Maybe we’ll go over there and work an easy half mile.”
Forever Unbridled usually works Fridays, but her trainer pulled an audible and sent her out a day early.
“I moved it up because she’s just been doing great,” Stewart said. “She’s been tearing the barn down, bucking and kicking in the afternoons. We just moved her up so she can have an extra day of galloping here. It was a great work, just like she’s been going. She stepped out nicely the last quarter.”
By Unbridled’s Song and out of Lemons Forever, who Stewart saddled to a 47-1 upset of the 2006 Kentucky Oaks (G1), Forever Unbridled only competed three times last year but prevailed on each of those occasions. The Kentucky-bred closed out 2018 with a half-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) and in January earned an Eclipse Award as the 2017 champion older dirt female.
She has been unplaced just twice from 17 career starts thus far, racking up a 17-8-3-4, $3,186,880 career mark.
Forever Unbridled makes her seasonal bow in the Dubai World Cup while facing boys for the first time. It will also be the first time Stewart has started a horse in Dubai.
“I’ve always wanted to go but you got to have a good enough horse,” Stewart said. “It’s a long way and it’s a great race. We’re thankful that they invited us and hopefully we’ll meet the challenge.”
