Doug Cauthen’s UNBRIDLED ENERGY (Unbridled’s Song) had just enough energy
left at the end of Saturday’s $194,000
San
Fernando Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) to hold off the fast-closing Canteen
(Fusaichi Pegasus) at Santa Anita. With Garrett Gomez furiously urging him on,
Unbridled Energy finished three parts of a length ahead of Canteen while
stopping the clock in 1:44 1/5.
The field broke cleanly across the track when the gates opened, but Swiss Lad
(Phone Saga) took advantage of his rail post position to gain a slight lead into
the first turn. Pressured all the way down the backstretch, the bay colt led
through fractions of :22 4/5, :46 1/5 and 1:11 1/5 but couldn’t hang on as the
field entered the turn. All the while, Unbridled Energy and Gomez were patiently
biding their time in sixth while Canteen and jockey Pat Valenzuela saved ground
along the rail in fourth.
Coming into the stretch, Unbridled Energy split horses and quickly took over
through a mile in 1:37 2/5. It wasn’t so easy for Canteen, though, as he found
his way blocked on the rail when gearing up for his run down the stretch.
Valenzuela swung his mount wide and the two powered down the center of the fast
track, gobbling up ground. It wasn’t to be, though, as Unbridled Energy swept
under the wire first in the 1 1/16-mile test.
Sent off the 7-2 fourth choice, Unbridled Energy returned $9.60, $5.60 and $3
while keying $1 exotics of $18.80 (exacta) and $46.80 (4-1-2 trifecta).
Canteen’s game run earned his backers $4.60 and $2.60 while Greeley’s Galaxy
(Mr. Greeley), who was the the 9-5 favorite as part of an entry with Osidy
(Storm Cat), paid $2.40 for finishing another three-quarters of a length back in
third. Following the top three under the line were Swiss Lad, Sort It Out (Out
of Place), Swing Your Partner (Wheaton), Distorted (Distorted Humor), Osidy and
Brecon Beacon (GB) (Spectrum).
Unbridled Energy earned his first U.S. stakes victory here, but not his first
one overall. The gray colt captured last year’s Marine S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine
and also recorded a second in the Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup S. (G3).
Switched from the barn of Elliott Walden to that of Richard Mandella, the
four-year-old returned from a near six-month break to run fifth in the Malibu S.
(G1) prior to the San Fernando and now sports an 8-4-1-0 lifetime mark to go along with
$282,826 in earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by Dr. Charles S. Giles, Unbridled Energy is out of the
multiple stakes-winning mare Ataentsic (Hold Your Peace), making him a
half-brother to Grade 3-placers Bick (Manila) and No Armistice (Unbridled) as
well as a yearling Aptitude filly.