Horse racing-Forever Unbridled surges to Breeders' Distaff win

DEL MAR, California Nov 3 (Reuters) - A hard-charging Forever Unbridled survived a late challenge by Abel Tasman to win the $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff by half a length at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club on Friday.

The five-year-old surged from the outside to break free from the eight-horse field down the stretch and win the year's richest race for fillies and mares.

Three-year-old Abel Tasman chased the Dallas Stewart-trained Forever Unbridled as the finish approached but could not close the gap in what amounted to a two-horse race at the oceanside racetrack.

In just her seventh career start, Paradise Woods came in third while favorite Elate finished fourth in the 1 1/8 mile (1.8 km) race.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Nick Mulvenney)