Unbridled Belle seeks last hurrah in Falls City

Unbridled Belle romped by 11 lengths in the Obeah in June (Melissa Wirth/Horsephotos.com) Grade 1 veteran UNBRIDLED BELLE (Broken Vow), who has been a mainstay in the distaff division for the past three years, will bid to go out a winner as she makes her final start in Thursday’s $150,000 Falls City H. (G2). The Todd Pletcher mare ranks as the co-highweight at 122 pounds, along with fellow Grade 1 winner SWIFT TEMPER (Giant’s Causeway), in the 1 1/8-mile Thanksgiving feature at Churchill Downs. Unbridled Belle enjoyed a banner year in 2007, capturing the Beldame S. (G1) and the lucrative Delaware H. (G2) and finishing second in the Personal Ensign S. (G1). The dark bay has since gone on to finish third in the next two runnings of the Del ‘Cap, and after skipping the 2008 Beldame, she returned to garner runner-up honors in this year’s edition on October 3. Although reeled in by Music Note in midstretch of the Beldame, Unbridled Belle was herself 9 1/4 lengths clear of third-placer COPPER STATE (Jump Start). Last time out, Unbridled Belle outclassed her opponents in the October 31 Turnback the Alarm H. (G3) at Aqueduct, where she powered to a four-length decision. As a two-turn, nine-furlong event on dirt, the Turnback the Alarm gave further evidence that the six-year-old is arguably best suited by those conditions. Indeed, Unbridled Belle has dominated the nine-furlong Obeah S. (G3) at Delaware Park for the past two years. Hence the Falls City shapes up as her ideal scenario. Ramon Dominguez comes in from New York for the ride.

Swift Temper, who just RNA’d for $2.05 million at the Keeneland November
Sale, looms as the most likely rival to spoil Unbridled Belle’s going away
party. The Dale Romans mare has beaten Unbridled Belle in all three of their
meetings this year — by stealing the Del ‘Cap with a crafty front-running
performance, finishing a best-of-the-rest second behind runaway winner Icon
Project in the Personal Ensign, and when checking in third in the Louisville
Distaff (G2) here on Kentucky Oaks Day.

Swift Temper showed some tactical versatility with her rallying score in the
September 12 Ruffian H. (G1) at Belmont, but she comes off two subpar efforts.
Only 10th when attempting to transfer her form to Polytrack in the Spinster S.
(G1) at Keeneland, the chestnut wound up a non-threatening sixth in the recent
Chilukki S. (G2) at Churchill.

The five-year-old is eligible to improve with Alan Garcia, the mastermind of
her two signature wins, back in the saddle. Also note that Swift Temper was a
game second to last year’s Falls City winner, Miss Isella (Silver Charm), in the
Fleur de Lis H. (G2) at this track and trip in June. If Swift Temper does not
take a step forward in the Falls City, she reportedly could be joining Unbridled
Belle in retirement.

Multiple Grade 1-placed Copper State, a closing runner-up in the Chilukki in
her final outing for Steve Asmussen, was recently sold for $400,000 at Keeneland
November and will be making her debut for Ronny Werner.

Woodbine shipper SERENADING (A.P. Indy) shapes up as an intriguing dark
horse. The Josie Carroll mare, who was second in the Doubledogdare S. (G3) at
Keeneland in April, exits a wire-to-wire, 2 1/4-length score in the Maple Leaf
S. The well-bred Serenading will be trying dirt for the first time since her
runner-up effort in her career debut at Fair Grounds in March 2007, but she
picks up the services of Julien Leparoux.

Rounding out the six-distaffer field are Peruvian champion MORENA (Per)
(Privately Held), who has been chasing Unbridled Belle and Swift Temper in her
three U.S. starts, and Prairie Meadows Oaks winner BEST LASS (Werblin), who beat
older foes in a Churchill turf allowance/optional claimer last time out.