Filly and Mare Turf Division

FOREVER TOGETHER
Trainer: Jonathan Sheppard

Question: Who is the only US bred distaffer to win the Filly and Mare Turf?

Answer: Forever Together.

Last season she went to Santa Anita after a defeat in the Just A Game G1 Stakes, a victory in the Diana (Saratoga), defeat in the Canadian (Woodbine) and a win in the First Lady (Keeneland). This year she took in the same races. She was outsprinted by Diamondrella in the first of them, nipped Caribbean Sunset and Rutherienne at the wire in the Diana, before getting outnodded by Princess Haya in Canada. She then headed to Kentucky trying to repeat her victory of last year. Prior to the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes, it appeared that her defeat at Woodbine owed as much to her jockey’s apparent overconfidence in his mount’s ability to run a blazing final quarter, than the quality of the opposition. The soft turf may not have been in her favour in Kentucky but, again, she was beaten by Diamondrella, who had a three quarters of a length margin over Tizaqueena in second, with a similar distance back to Forever Together. She may get tougher competition from the local group this year and I am sure the contestants from the European side of the ocean will be much stronger than in 2008.