Forever Unbridled, Tom's Ready Work for BC

Multiple grade I winner Forever Unbridled and stablemate Tom's Ready were declared "happy and healthy" by trainer Dallas Stewart after each threw down their final works at Churchill Downs Oct. 26 in advance of their expected Breeders' Cup runs.

The Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) may be the staunchest pound-for-pound test on the two-day card, with the likes of champions Songbird, Beholder, and Stellar Wind all set to face off. In her second move since her 2 1/4-length win in the Oct. 1 Beldame Invitational (gr. I) at Belmont Park, Charles Fipke's Forever Unbridled signaled her readiness for that fray when she worked six furlongs from the five-eighths pole in 1:14 2/5, posting splits of :24 4/5, :37, and 1:01 4/5, with a gallop out in 1:28 2/5. 

HAMMONDS: Forever Unbridled Cruises in the Beldame

"She's just a really good racehorse. She's been solid all year, as have the other fillies," Stewart said. "We like the way we're doing it. We know it's going to be a great horse race. We're going to be glad we're in there to compete."

Forever Unbridled's final margin of victory in the Beldame was not a true indicator of how easily the 4-year-old daughter of Unbridled's Song handled her competition that day. Given that she is out of 2006 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner Lemons Forever and is a full sister to grade I winner Unbridled Forever—both of whom were trained by Stewart—her acsent in the Distaff ranks is one that emotionally hits her trainer right between the eyes.

"I mean, her mom wins the Oaks. That's as special as can be. The full sister is a grade I winner and ... it's just as solid a family as there is in the world right now," Stewart said. 

Forever Unbridled has not been worse than third in her last six starts dating back to last November and she earned her first top-level score when she captured the April 15 Apple Blossom Handicap (gr. I) at Oaklawn Park.

A victory in the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) would give Tom's Ready his first grade I score and the first top-level achievement for owners G M B Racing. The 3-year-old son of More Than Ready  — who defeated champion Runhappy in the Oct. 1 Ack Ack Handicap (gr. III) at Churchill— tuned up for that task with a five-furlong move in 1:01 4/5 working in company with Take Charge Nikki. 

HAMMONDS: Tom's Ready Wins Ack Ack; Runhappy Fourth

Tom's Ready broke off about four lengths back of his workmate and clocked splits of :12 3/5, :25, and :37 2/5 with a gallop out in 1:15.

"He has to step it up. We know that," Stewart said. "He's a 3-year-old running against older horses. But he's a very good racehorse, he's a fighter, and he looked great today. He's healthy and we're just hoping the race turns out good for them both."

Tom's Ready has won three of 13 starts, including a win in the June 11 Woody Stephens Stakes (gr. II) at Belmont, and has $582,047 in earnings. Both he and Forever Unbridled are slated to ship to California Oct. 28.