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No stopping Unbridled Belle in Beldame Team Valor Stables' UNBRIDLED BELLE (Broken Vow) was shuffled back in traffic and lost position approaching the far turn of Sunday's $612,000 Beldame S. (G1), but that trouble didn't deter her. Regrouping beneath Ramon Dominguez, the Todd Pletcher filly swung to the outside at the top of the Belmont stretch and mounted a sustained rally to collar her stablemate Indian Vale (A.P. Indy) by a head at the wire. Unbridled Belle completed the fast-track 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 3/5 to earn her first Grade 1 tally. Leaving the gate as the 6-1 fourth choice in the seven-horse field, the four-year-old dark bay rewarded her supporters with returns of $15.40, $6.70 and $3.60. "My only concern was around the three-eighths pole," Dominguez said. "She was feeling so good, I was worried she would clip heels. I was able to get outside, and she was able to get her momentum going again. Sometimes, a horse as big as she is will lose its momentum, but she kept going all the way down the stretch." Indian Vale hugged the inside path throughout while pressing the pace established by Ice Cool Kitty (Tomorrows Cat), who posted splits of :24 2/5, :47 2/5 and 1:11 1/5. When the early leader began to fade, Indian Vale struck the front and was soon confronted by even-money choice Ginger Punch (Awesome Again). Indian Vale repelled that challenge, but she could not contain the irresistible momentum of Unbridled Belle late. The valiant runner-up paid $7.70 and $3.80 at 7-1, and the all-Pletcher exacta totaled $72. "It's unfortunate that sometimes you have to run them together," Pletcher said of his duo, "but it was the right thing for both fillies and both owners. Obviously, Unbridled Belle is just a better filly this year than she was last year. I think Indian Vale, considering she was stuck inside there, never could really get clear of Ice Cool Kitty at any point. I thought she ran a big race as well." The rest of the field was well strung out. Another 2 1/4 lengths back in third came Ginger Punch, furnishing $2.20 and ending the $235 trifecta (5-3-1). Balance (Thunder Gulch) checked in 4 1/2 lengths adrift of Ginger Punch, with Mo Cuishle (Saint Ballado), Miss Shop (Deputy Minister) and Ice Cool Kitty rounding out the order of finish. As expected, Sugar Shake (Awesome Again), Ginger Punch's entrymate, was withdrawn. With this third stakes score on her resume, Unbridled Belle has joined the millionaires' club with $1,212,840 in earnings from her 13-5-3-1 line. In 2006, she captured the Go for Wand S. at Delaware Park and finished fourth in the Alabama S. (G1) and Gazelle S. (G1). Unbridled Belle has improved dramatically as a four-year-old. After opening her 2007 campaign with a solid runner-up effort in the Obeah S., she romped by 7 3/4 lengths in the lucrative Delaware H. (G2) and garnered runner-up honors in the Personal Ensign S. (G1). Bred in the Bluegrass State by Charger Six Venture, Unbridled Belle was a bargain in the sales ring, bringing only $4,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. She is out of stakes winner Little Bold Belle (Silver Buck), who also has an unraced juvenile colt named Stones River (Monarchos) and an unnamed yearling colt by Mizzen Mast. Little Bold Belle is herself a full sister to multiple Grade 3 hero Classic Endeavor and a half-sister to multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed B. B. Best (Yes It's True). Unbridled Belle's second dam, the winning Bold Juana (John Alden), is a full sister to the remarkable Little Bold John, an earner of more than $1.9 million who captured 25 stakes races, including the 1987 Donn H. (G2). Unbridled Belle has stamped her ticket to the October 27 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), where plans call for her to renew rivalry with Indian Vale.
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