Forever Unbridled – 2017 Champion Older Dirt Female

Forever Unbridled was honored as the 2017 champion older dirt female at Thursday evening’s Eclipse Award ceremony for putting together a perfect three-for-three campaign for owner/breeder Charles E. Fipke and trainer Dallas Stewart.

The bay daughter of Unbridled’s Song closed out 2016 running third in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) behind multiple champions Beholder and Songbird. She didn’t return to action for seven months, finally making her seasonal bow in the Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs in mid-June.

Forever Unbridled posted a 1 3/4-length victory that day before taking another month and a half off. The five-year-old bay reappeared August 26 at Saratoga in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) and proceeded to hand Songbird only the second loss of her career when sticking her neck in front of that rival on the wire.

Another break awaited Forever Unbridled, as she wouldn’t compete again until showing up for one more crack at the Distaff on Breeders’ Cup Friday, November 3. The Kentucky-bred mare bided her time in the rear of the field with Abel Tasman before those two swept past their foes. Forever Unbridled just held the advantage on the wire by a half-length to be three-for-three, $1,595,280 in 2017.

The homebred was briefly under consideration for Saturday’s $16 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) but her connections opted to run Seeking the Soul instead.

Forever Unbridled currently owns a 17-8-3-4, $3,186,880 lifetime record.