EVERY trainer has a key horse. You know, the one who changed everything, the match, the ignition, the launching pad to their career.

Dallas Stewart’s is easy. Lemons Forever. Sure, she won the Kentucky Oaks in 2006 for Stewart, that was big. But beyond that, she opened the door to Charles Fipke.

A year after the Kentucky Oaks, the prominent owner paid $2.5 million for Lemons Forever at Keeneland November and met Stewart that night. After some gentle prodding from Stewart, Fipke sent some horses Stewart’s way.

The first few weren’t much, but that would change. Eventually Fipke and Stewart won major races with Seeking The Title and Unbridled Forever (a daughter of Lemons Forever) and was second in the Kentucky Derby with Golden Soul.

Those were just warm-up pitches. Forever Unbridled, also a daughter of Lemons Forever, won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff earlier this month and Seeking The Soul, a son of Seeking The Title, cause a shock in the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs last Friday week.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Seeking The Soul settled well off the pace and held off Good Samaritan and Hoppertunity (the only two horses who trailed the winner early) to win by a half-length.

“I don’t think there’s a stronger family in the world,” Stewart said. “And Mr. Fipke has put it all together.”

The owner studies pedigrees, with an eye toward producing classic thoroughbreds, though the first couple he sent Stewart included one unraced five-year-old and one who wouldn’t work without going to the gate. “Just about all my horses are homebreds,” Fipke said. “I like the breeding. I like the research. I do a lot of research on it. You still have to have a lot of luck and a good horse.”

This year, they’ve had both.

“It’s been a great month. This horse is the grandson to Personal Ensign so he is very well bred. I’m so happy to win another Grade 1 for Mr. Fipke.