BALLERINA STAKES

(GRADE 1)

UNBRIDLED Forever finally secured her first Grade 1 victory when displaying a dazzling turn of foot to take the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga.

John Velazquez sat patiently on the four-year-old daughter of Unbridled’s Song, a homebred racing for Charles Fipke and trainer Dallas Stewart, at the back of the eight-horse field through much of the seven-furlongs.

Longshot Sarah Sis led the field but with one furlong to go, Unbridled Forever put in an impressive kick.

“We worked our way through on the inside until we got to the quarter pole, and then I pulled her out and she responded,” Velazquez said. “That’s what she did the last time, and she did it back again today.”

“This is special,” said Stewart, who trained Unbridled Forever’s dam, Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever.

“I sold (Fipke) Lemons Forever and he bred this filly. It’s a Grade 1, and he owns the mare and a lot of the family, so it’s big.”

PERSONAL ENSIGN

Amongst the rivalry between Untapable and Stopchargingmaria, Sheer Drama grabbed the spoils defeating both in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga.

The five-year-old, with Joe Bravo aboard, sat four lengths back, as Untapable and Stopchargingmaria went to the front together in the nine furlong dirt test.

Sheer Drama headed those rivals coming out of the final turn, and pulled away steadily to win by a length and a quarter in front of closing Got Lucky.

Untapable took third, with Stopchargingmaria fourth.

“Joe rode a perfect race, which I asked him to do,” winning trainer David Fawkes said.

“When I saw that neither of the other two was getting away from the other, it made me really comfortable.”

“We couldn’t script it any better,” Bravo said. “The race really set up great for us and everybody knows there were some of the best fillies in the country coming in here today.”

The victory is Sheer Drama’s second Grade I, after a breakthrough score in the Delaware Handicap in July.

“She’s getting better as she’s getting older,” Fawkes said. “She does everything right. Do I hope Beholder goes against the boys (Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic)? Absolutely. But If I’ve got to (beat) her too, I’ll do it.”