Forever Unbridled superb in Dubai World Cup work

Forever Unbridled had her final Fair Grounds workout for the March 31 Dubai World Cup on Thursday, and trainer Dallas Stewart couldn’t be more pleased about it.

Forever Unbridled’s fivefurlong time of 59.60 seconds sparkles on the surface, but it was how the mare went about her business that so encouraged Stewart. Forever Unbridled ran her final quarter-mile in a fast 23 seconds and galloped out with good energy, Stewart said.

“It was outstanding,” Stewart said Friday. “She needed a good work, and she got it. I just wanted to see her move through the stretch and open up those lungs a little bit. She was bouncing and happy this morning.”

Forever Unbridled will have several gallops before she flies from New Orleans to Florida on Monday. A flight from Florida the next day arrives in Dubai on Wednesday. Stewart said he’s considering working Forever Unbridled once at Meydan Racecourse, perhaps on March 26. Mike Smith has the mount on the mare in the $10 million World Cup.

Stewart said he’s seeing the same things from Forever Unbridled as he did coming into her strong win in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, her most recent start.

“It appears like that,” he said. “We just hope she travels well.”

Two jocks hurt in 3-horse spill

Miguel Mena, the leading rider with 55 wins at the Fair Grounds meet entering Friday’s races, could be out of action for as long as six months after breaking his right ankle and heel in a three-horse accident in Thursday’s eighth race.

Kerwin Clark, whose mount, Ellashoo, broke down on the lead, spurring the chain reaction, suffered more serious injuries, breaking his jaw and at least one rib, which led to a collapsed lung. Clark, a 58-yearold with more than 3,000 North American wins, had surgery Friday to repair the jaw injury, according to his agent, Charles Ashy Jr. A tube was inserted into his chest to reinflate his lung. “Everything is going as well as it could have gone,” Ashy said.

Clark’s mount, a 4-year-old filly bred and owned by Rockin’ H Farm and trained by Sarah Delaney, broke down badly and had to be euthanized. The other two horses walked off the track without serious injury, as did the third jockey involved in the spill, Gabriel Saez.

Mena, according to agent Richie Price, won’t have a firm timetable for his return until he sees a specialist late next week. In addition to losing the chance to win his first Fair Grounds riding title– he had a one-win lead over Shaun Bridgmohan going into Friday’s card–Mena, 31, will miss the mount on Bravazo in the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 24. Mena rode Bravazo to victory last month in the Risen Star.

Givemeaminit to La. Derby

Add Givemeaminit’s name to the list of horses who were likely to be entered Saturday for the Louisiana Derby, trainer Dallas Stewart said Friday.

Givemeaminit was third, beaten a neck, in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes last summer and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall. Stewart added blinkers for a romping Louisiana-bred maiden win in which Givemeaminit kept up with a solid sprint pace, but the Star Guitar colt had no speed in the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes and finished eighth in a race where almost no passing took place.

“We’d like to change tactics up a little bit,” Stewart said. “He’s been training really good. His previous race I can’t really understand.”

A field of nine or 10 is likely for the Louisiana Derby, according to Fair Grounds racing officials, who also believe the number of fillies entering the Fair Grounds Oaks the same day has increased from recent days.

Also on the March 24 card, the Mervin Muniz Handicap at nine furlongs on turf is coming up a strong race. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained 4-year-old Lucullan is expected to join Forge, Ring Weekend, Revved Up, and Danish Dynaformer as part of a strong Florida-based contingent. Synchrony is the race’s leading local.