Forever Together exudes class in Jenny Wiley

Forever Together was an easy winner of her 2009 bow (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com) Augustin Stables' homebred FOREVER TOGETHER (Belong to Me), who wrapped up an Eclipse Award when scoring in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last time out, picked up right where she left off in Saturday's $200,000 Jenny Wiley S. (G2) at Keeneland. Unleashing her trademark late rally beneath a confident Julien Leparoux, the Jonathan Sheppard mare mastered defending titleholder Rutherienne (Pulpit) by a cozy length. Forever Together's closing charge was not helped by a dawdling early pace. Kiss with a Twist (Lemon Drop Kid) wound up taking over the role of pacesetter, carving out splits of :25 4/5, :51 4/5 and 1:17 on the good turf course. I Lost My Choo (Western Expression) and Backseat Rhythm (El Corredor) were forwardly placed, while Rutherienne and Forever Together bided their time in fifth and sixth, respectively. Turning for home, Leparoux angled Forever Together to the outside, and once straightening up in the lane, the even-money choice swept past Kiss with a Twist and assumed command. Rutherienne likewise rallied to her inside and tried her utmost, but Forever Together was too good. On cruise control, the authoritative winner finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:46 4/5 and returned $4, $2.80 and $2.20 while keying the $16 exacta, $102.80 trifecta and $686.60 superfecta (3-8-6-5).

"She's a champion," Leparoux said. "Every time I ask her to do something, she

does it. When you ask her to go, she's got a very good kick. We knew the race

wasn't going to have any speed, but we didn't want to change how to ride her.

She was much the best anyway."

"She looked just like a champion should out there," Sheppard concurred. "She

really has seemed to find a new lease on life (since transferring to the turf).

She's got more confidence, I think, more poise, and I think she knows she's

special. She looks like it, and she acts like it."

Rutherienne, leaving the gate at nearly 6-1, yielded $5.20 and $3.40. Kiss

with a Twist, who fought gamely to the end and just missed runner-up honors by a

neck, gave back $3.80 to show at 11-1. Rustic Flame (Ire) (Danehill Dancer)

raced in fourth throughout and was trailed by Backseat Rhythm, Lady Carlock

(Chester House) and I Lost My Choo. Visit (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]) and Ballymore

Lady (War Chant) were scratched.

Forever Together advanced her mark to 15-8-1-3 with earnings of $2,128,533.

She captured her first three starts on dirt, culminating in a two-length score

in the 2007 Forward Gal S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park. After a neck loss on

Keeneland's Polytrack in the Beaumont S. (G2), Forever Together could finish no

better than third in four subsequent starts on dirt. Switched to turf last May,

the gray promptly turned things around to record a 1 1/4-length victory in the

Reluctant Guest S. at Arlington Park. Forever Together stepped up to take on

Grade 1 rivals in the Just a Game S. next out and finished a hard-charging

third. She broke through with a huge win in the Diana S. (G1) at Saratoga,

shipped to Woodbine and ran third on yielding ground in the Canadian S.

(Can-G2), and rebounded with an impressive score in the First Lady S. (G1) at

Keeneland before her Breeders' Cup triumph.

Bred by White Fox Farm in Kentucky, Forever Together brought $240,000 as an

OBS March two-year-old. She is out of the unraced Relaunch mare Constant

Companion, making her a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Princess Patricia

(Aptitude). Constant Companion has a 2009 filly by Easing Along. This is the

same family as multiple champion filly Open Mind (Deputy Minister), Canadian

Horse of  the Year Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore), and Grade 2 winner and

noted sire Broken Vow (Unbridled).

Sheppard was asked whether Forever Together might be better than last year.

"I'm not going to jinx myself by saying that," the Hall of Famer said. "As

long as she stays like she was last year, I'll be satisfied with that."