Forever Unbridled, Off the Tracks headline Beldame

A field of seven distaffers has been entered to go 1 1/8 miles in the $400,000 Beldame Stakes (G1) over Belmont Park’s dirt on Super Saturday, and the group features two Grade 1 winners in Forever Unbridled and Off the Tracks.

Forever Unbridled joined the Grade 1 ranks in her second start this year, opening her four-year-old campaign with a win in the Houston Ladies Classic (G3) before capturing the Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park in April.

The Dallas Stewart-conditioned filly owns just two other starts this season. She followed the Apple Blossom with a runner-up effort in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) two months later and took another two-month break before showing up to just miss by three parts of a length when third in the Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) last out on August 27.

Joel Rosario has been aboard for three of Forever Unbridled’s’ quartet of starts in 2016 and gets a leg up once again for the Beldame.

Off the Tracks suffered her first off-the-board finish last out in the Prioress Stakes (G2) at Saratoga, but even then the Curlin filly was only fourth. She was third in the Test Stakes (G1) before that and romped by 3 1/2 lengths in the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) in early July.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Off the Tracks will attempt a return to the winner’s circle with John Velazquez holding the reins.

Penwith is a Grade 2 winner, thanks to a three-length triumph in the Royal Delta Stakes back in February. Since then the Kiaran McLaughlin trainee has run fourth in the Santa Margarita Stakes (G1), sixth in the La Troienne Stakes (G1), third in the Delaware Handicap (G1) and, most recently, second in the Lady Jacqueline Stakes. She gets Javier Castellano in the irons for the first time in this spot.

Going for Broke proved best of the rest in the Alabama Stakes (G1) on August 20, finishing seven lengths behind super star Songbird but 1 3/4 lengths up on her nearest rival in third. The Chad Brown pupil was making her stakes bow in that contest off a trio of wins, and will definitely enjoy the absence of Songbird here. Regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call.

Paola Queen boasts just two wins, but one of those came last out when the Flatter filly upset the Test Stakes (G1) by three parts of a length at 55-1. Luis Saez was aboard that day for trainer Gustavo Delgado and will try to duplicate that performance here.

Completing the field are Rachel’s Temper and Grade 3 vixen Tiger Ride, the respective one-two in the Summer Colony Stakes last out at Saratoga.

Forever Unbridled photo courtesy of Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography