Making his 4-year-old bow on Saturday, Unbridled Command finished a strong third behind two legitimate superstars in Gulfstream Park’s $300,000, Grade 1 Kitten’s Joy Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap.
The grey son of Master Command was last seen on November 25 circling the field to take the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby for a fifth straight victory. In preparation for his 4-year-old debut, the Tom Bush-trainee posted five strong published works at Palm Meadows, including a 5-furlong bullet move (best of 16) in 59 seconds flat on January 24.
Reunited for the Turf Handicap with Javier Castellano, winning pilot for the Hollywood Derby, Unbridled Command (7-2 third choice) lined up in the gate with the stiffest of competition: 5-year-old Point of Entry (Dynaformer), close runner-up in the BC Turf last out and looking for his fourth Grade 1 victory (2-1), and 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom (4-5), second in the BC Mile and making his final start in the United States.
Breaking from post four (of 6), Unbridled Command took the first turn four wide, then raced evenly in third behind Salto, who set pedestrian fractions for the first half mile (25:40, 50:52), and Point of Entry, who tracked a length off the pace. Animal Kingdom was reserved in fifth in the early stages.
The situation changed extremely quickly – and the pace accelerated – when Animal Kingdom moved up boldly at the fence and engaged Salto as the field entered the far turn, while Point of Entry followed suit moving up on the outside.
In upper stretch the top three were still dueling earnest, and Unbridled Command moved up into third when Salto dropped out of it. Point of Entry gained the lead with a furlong to go before edging away to win by 1 1/4 lengths. Unbridled Command fought gamely to the wire, but was unable to make up much ground as the leaders flew home and finished another 1 1/4 lengths back in third. After a mile in 1:35.71, the final time for the 1 1/8 miles over the firm turf was 1:47.00.
A maiden-breaker in his third and final juvenile start in November 2011, Unbridled Command steadily ascended the class ladder last year, winning a pair of state-bred allowance races at Saratoga, before taking the Grade 3 Saranac. Following a 6 3/4-length romp in the Mohawk Stakes, he bested a large deep field in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. The gray’s record now stands at 6-1-3 from 11 starts and his share of Saturday’s purse brought his earnings to just shy of the half-million dollar mark ($499,040).
If things go according to plan, Unbridled Command will travel to England next, where he will be trained by Ed Dunlop with an eye to Royal Ascot, then the Cox Plate and Hong Kong later in the season.
Unbridled Command was bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds LLC in partnership with A. Lakin & Sons Inc., and foaled at Sequel Stallions New York in Hudson. The colt was purchased outright by Lewis Lakin for $28,000 at the 2011 OBS Spring 2-year-old sale. The ownership group was augmented this January by Australian-based Kevin and Colleen Bamford and American owner David Bernsen.
Unbridled Command is one of four winners produced by Unbridled Betty, an unraced daughter of Unbridled’s Song, who sold in foal to Master Command to Top Sale for $75,000 at the 2008 Keeneland November sale. Unbridled Betty is a half-sister to two stakes winners and to Astaire Step, dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Manistique (Unbridled), who earned over $1.3 million.
The mare currently has a 3-year-old colt by Freud named Mr. Panda, who has not started, a 2-year-old colt by Freud and a yearling filly by Read the Footnotes who topped the 2012 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December Mixed Sale when purchased by Edition Farm for $100,000. Unbridled Betty was bred last year to Girolamo, who entered at stud at Sequel Stallions New York in 2012.
