Forever Unbridled rallies past Songbird in the Personal Ensign

Last year, she knocked on the door. This year, Forever Unbridled kicked it in. With a relentless late run down the middle of the lane, the daughter of a Kentucky Oaks winner, and granddaughter of a Kentucky Derby winner, scored her biggest career victory today by rallying by the two-time champion Songbird in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign by a measured and decisive neck.

A winner of 13-of-14 coming in, Songbird was the filly to beat this afternoon at Saratoga. Only a narrow defeat to another great champion, Beholder, in last year's Breeders' Cup Distaff separated the Fox Hill Farm four-year-old from perfection. Not far behind her in last fall's World Championships, was the late running, Forever Unbridled, who came in third. 

One year later, the two stars met again. Songbird had won both of her starts this year coming in, although, in not quite the impressive fashion in which she had won so many races in her first two seasons. Meanwhile, Forever Unbridled was an impressive winner of her only start in 2017.

Songbird, a big winner of two previous Grade 1 starts at Saratoga, both in 2016, was made the heavy 2-5 favorite, while the Charles Fipke owned and bred Forever Unbridled was respected at 2-1 in the small, four-horse field.

The first part of the race went exactly as expected as Songbird and Mike Smith went right to the lead. Forever Unbridled, ridden by Joel Rosario, was more than content to watch the early fractions go by from the back of the pack. Songbird remained in first, Forever Unbridled in last, through moderate fractions of :24.14 and :47.91. Going For Broke and Eskenformoney filled the classy Personal Ensign sandwich.

As Songbird continued to cruise into the far turn, Rosario began to ask the Dallas Stewart-trained Forever Unbridled. Making ground up on the far outside, she was positioned to make a run at the champion. Meanwhile, Going for Broke gave up the chase, but Eskenformoney moved in from the rail. With that one offering a little pressure to her inside, Smith asked his champion for everything she had.

Rosario kept his charge far off the rail, and his mare responded. Songbird put away the inside challenge, but Forever Unbridled was closing in with every stride under a hard hand ride. The favorite still led at the sixteenth pole, but it was clear that the second choice was reeling her in.

Songbird fought on to the wire, but the momentum of Forever Unbridled was too much. In the final twenty yards, Songbird tasted defeat for only the second time to, on this day at least, the better mare.

"For a second there I went by Songbird and she came back on the inside just kind of keeping us together," explained Rosario. "Then the last 1/16th she finished strong and well. I decided to stay away from Songbird [in the stretch] because I was moving very well today, so I stayed away a little bit and let her run. She's a galloper. You just got to figure out the way she likes to run. She went out there and I just let her be happy and whenever she wants to run, I let her run. She was impressive today."

Final time for the nine furlongs over the fast main track at Saratoga was 1:49.16. Eskenmoney was 4 1/2-lengths behind Songbird in third, while Going For Broke was way back at the finish.

With the big victory, Forever Unbridled raised her lifetime record to 16-7-3-4, with $2,086,880 in the bank.

As the second choice, Forever Unbridled paid $6.20 to win, $2.10 to place, with no show betting in the small field. The exacta over Songbird returned $8.60. There was no trifecta betting.

"I just really think she's just a really good mare," said Stewart. "The way she's training and the way she's always trained, she's a great mare. She's powerful and strong like Winning Colors was; she's that type of mare. She'll likely go to the Beldame at Belmont next. It's the most logical choice for her next race, especially since she won it last year. I don't think there's a stronger family in the world. Her full sister [Unbridled Forever] won a Grade 1 here, the Ballerina, a couple years ago. It's very special. How about that. Mr. [Charles] Fipke has put it together and deserves the credit." 

While one will stay in New York (Forever Unbridled) and one will head back to California, look for these two excellent mares to renew their rivalry in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in ten weeks.