In a previous article I analyzed the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and discussed the horses I expected to run the best on Friday. Since I posted that article, post positions for the race have been drawn and final workouts have been completed. While I stand by what I said about the fillies in my previous article, there is one more horse in this race that I simply cannot ignore. That horse is Forever Unbridled. She got lost in my shuffle of Breeders’ Cup picks since she has only raced twice this year, but the more I look at this horse, the more I like her. So, I am going to narrow it down and select my top three contenders for the Distaff once and for all.
Trying to target the three best horses in a race this deep with talent is a difficult task considering the fact that I can make a case for nearly every horse in this race when it comes down to who will win it. It’s the Breeders’ Cup. That’s how it’s supposed to be. All of these horses are here for a reason. They earned this chance. They fought to be here and I think they all will give it their best shot on race day. However, they can’t all win it, so I have decided to pick my top three and stick with it, and they are Stellar Wind, Elate, and Forever Unbridled.
As I mentioned in my first Distaff article, Stellar Wind is a fierce horse that somehow always finds a way to come through. She always finds more speed and more strength when she needs it, refusing to accept defeat. Even when it looks like she can’t get past her rival, she almost always finds that extra gear, soaring to the lead just in time to steal the win and break her rival’s heart. You’d be hard pressed to find a more determined horse than her on Friday, so I’m sticking with her. The fact that Stellar Wind was named the morning line favorite for this contentious race shows how talented she is.
Then there is Elate. Elate has looked like a beast the whole time she has trained up for this event. This steadfast filly has been getting better with every race, and I think she is coming into the Distaff in the best form of her life. Elate is an impeccable specimen who literally towers over her competition. She has proven her ability to overcome adversity and run with some of the best. Her long, efficient stride propels her over the ground with thundering power, and I think that will take her far in the Breeders’ Cup and in future races to come. This horse is loaded and ready to fire a big one. There was no way I could leave her out of my top three.
And now we come to Forever Unbridled. As strong as Paradise Woods and Abel Tasman are looking, I had to drop them out of my top selections. It wasn’t an easy choice, and if they were to win or hit the board, I wouldn’t be shocked in the least. That’s how good all these fillies and mares are looking. But I just can’t shake the feeling that Forever Unbridled is sitting on top of a monster effort.
Forever Unbridled has always been a quality racehorse. In sixteen career starts, she triumphed over her foes in seven of them, and hit the board in another seven. Forever Unbridled ran a game third in the Distaff last year, and since then is a perfect two for two this season. This filly has a devastating turn of foot and is fully capable of competing in the highest level of racing. The rapid rate in which she is able to close in on her competition in breathtaking. It’s as if she gets a thrill from hunting her rivals down and blazing away in the stretch.
Forever Unbridled is lightly raced this year but that may not be such a bad thing. She will be coming into this race primed and fresh, full of energy and ready to let it all out. She has been aiming for this race for a while and will be ready to launch her attack when the field turns for home and her jockey gives the command to run them all down.
Elate is the picture of perfection coming into the Breeders’ Cup, Stellar Wind is as tough of a warrior as it gets, and Forever Unbridled has a devastating kick that will have her flying at the end. None of these horses will go easy on each other, but I fully expect to see Stellar Wind, Elate, and Forever Unbridled all right there, battling it out at the end. It will be a thrilling finish between a field of immensely gifted fillies and mares. I hope to see every contender put forth their best effort on Friday, and may the best horse win.
(photo credit to Eric Kalethttp://erickalet.zenfolio.com/ )