Charles Fipke’s Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid), dam of champion Forever Unbridled (Unbridled’s Song) and Gr1 winner Unbridled Forever (Unbridled’s Song), was named 2017 Broodmare of the Year at the KTOB’s Kentucky-Bred Champions Awards Luncheon at Keeneland.
Forever Unbridled (Wikipedia)
“As a breeder, Broodmare of the Year is about as significant as it can get other than having something like Gun Runner,” Fipke said. “It is the ideal. We are very lucky to get that. It’s not me that does it though, it’s the broodmare!”
Winner of the 2006 GrI Kentucky Oaks, Lemons Forever was purchased by Fipke for $2.5 million at the 2007 Keeneland November sale.
The 15-year-old mare has seven foals with her top produce being Forever Unbridled, who was named 2017’s top older mare after a perfect season that culminated in a victory in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The bay, who was named KY-bred champion older female, was retired after finishing a respectable fifth in the Mar. 31 Gr1 Dubai World Cup and will now be bred to Medaglia d’Oro. Lemons Forever has a juvenile filly named Lemon’s Medaglia (Medaglia d’Oro) and recently foaled another filly by the same stallion.
“Just over the weekend she foaled out a beautiful Medaglia filly,” Fipke said. “The filly has unusually long legs, weighs about 140 pounds and is bred similarly to Rachel Alexandra. She has a very distinct face just like Rachel, so we still have more ammo to come! We are just very, very fortunate to be associated with such a great broodmare.”
