Mike Smith to Ride Forever Unbridled
dubai — The reigning champion dirt mare in America has picked up the riding services of one of the top jockeys in the world. Charles Fipke’s homebred Forever Unbridled will be united for the first time with Mike Smith in the $10 million Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline (G1), which was confirmed by trainer Dallas Stewart on Monday.
“He’s obviously a great rider and he won the race last year,” Stewart said. “Last fall, he told me he would love to ride her sometime and obviously (previous rider) Johnny (Velazquez) had a prior commitment. Smith was Chuck (Fipke’s) next choice and I’m glad to have him.”
Velazquez, who is committed to riding Audible in the Florida Derby
The mile and a quarter (2000m) is something she (Ride Forever) should really like Mike Smith
(G1) on March 31, rode Forever Unbridled in her last racetrack appearance in November, a halflength victory over subsequently crowned champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1).
A race prior, under Joel Rosario, the 6-year-old bay mare defeated heavily favoured champion 3-yearold filly of the previous year, Songbird, by a neck in Saratoga’s Personal Ensign (G1) in late August. Smith was aboard both Songbird, whom she caught in the final stages, and Abel Tasman, whom she held off just the same.
“If you can’t beat them, join them,” Smith said. “Her last few races have really been tremendous. She’s running the kind of races where she can definitely compete with the boys. She’s a big filly, too, and pretty much as big as the boys she’ll be running against, so I’m very excited about the opportunity to ride her.
“The mile and a quarter (2000m) is something she should really like,” he added. “I’m just really blessed to get the opportunity.”
Adding intrigue to the affair is the fact that Bob Baffert-trained West Coast, the reigning champion 3-year-old in America and expected favourite in the Dubai World Cup, was previously the mount of Smith. They teamed to take the two 2017 races that earned him said title, the Travers (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1). Jockey Javier Castellano will be aboard West Coast in the Dubai World Cup and has ridden him in his previous two races, a third in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and runner-up effort in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1). The Castellano-West Coast match was originally necessitated when Smith chose to ride world champion Arrogate in the Breeders’ Cup.
The plot thickens, as Smith and Castellano are no strangers in battle recently. Last weekend, they were involved in a high-profile throw-down between two of the leading contenders for this year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) that ended in a controversial disqualification.