Dallas Stewart knew what he had in the barn and Charles Fipke knew whom he wanted in the saddle.
Forever Unbridled, with John Velazquez aboard, did the rest.
Capping an abbreviated but perfect three-race campaign at age 5, the homebred daughter of Unbridled's Song pulled a mild upset in Friday's Grade 1 $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar in Southern California.
Forever Unbridled held off Kentucky Oaks winner Abel Tasman by a half-length with 3-year-old fillies Paradise Woods third and Elate fourth. Stellar Wind, Oaklawn Park's Grade 1 Apple Blossom Handicap winner in April, finished last after not starting for 96 days.
Forever Unbridled was the source of controversy this week as Fipke, the racemare's owner-breeder, unexpectedly changed jockeys, replacing Joel Rosario with Hall of Famer Velazquez. Track stewards ruled that Fipke would have to pay both jockeys the standard 10-percent fee.
However expensive the victory, Fipke considered himself "a lucky person and lucky to have a great team."
Forever Unbridled, Oaklawn's 2016 Apple Blossom winner with Velazquez replacing a then-injured Rosario, finished third in last year's Distaff at Santa Anita, won dramatically by Beholder against undefeated Songbird. Fipke hoped to run his star in January's inaugural Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park, but a bone chip was detected and she did not race again until June at Churchill Downs.
Forever Unbridled sent Songbird into retirement with her Grade 1 Personal Ensign victory in August at Saratoga, then trained up to the Distaff.
"I'm blessed to be part of this with Chuck," said Stewart, who trained the winner's dam, Lemons Forever, to a 2006 Kentucky Oaks upset.
Asked about the jockey switch, Stewart said, "Two great jocks, but all I was focused on was winning this race. Today, Forever Unbridled was the champ."
Forever Unbridled made the lead in the stretch and clocked a mile and eighth in 1:50.25. She paid $9.40, $5 and $3.40.
Abel Tasman, with Mike Smith up, likely clinched the 3-year-old filly championship.
"She got beat by a really good filly," said trainer Bob Baffert. "Dallas Stewart had her ready."
Sports on 11/04/2017