Gin Gin pulls away to win the Doubledogdare under Jose Ortiz (Keeneland Photo)
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Calumet Farm’s homebred Gin Gin, the longest price on the board at 38-1, shot to the front going into the final turn and drew off to a 5¼-length victory over Tarifa in the 30th running of the $350,000 Baird Doubledogdare (G3) for fillies and mares Friday afternoon.
Trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Gin Gin completed the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:45.15. It is the second victory in the race for Ortiz, who won the 2019 edition aboard Electric Forest.
Champion Just F Y I led the field of seven through fractions of :23.19 and :47.70 with Gin Gin tracking in second and Occult just to her outside. Approaching the final turn, Gin Gin and Occult moved to the front with Gin Gin owning a length advantage entering the stretch before pulling away.
The margin of victory is only surpassed by Dancethruthedawn’s 5½-length score in 2002.
Gin Gin is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Hightail out of the Hard Spun mare Before You Know It. In posting her first graded stakes victory, Gin Gin improved her record to 10-3-2-2 and increased her earnings to $461,596 with Friday’s $214,288 check.
Gin Gin rewarded her backers with payoffs of $79.76, $23 and $7.82 with the win mutuel being a record for the race. Tarifa rallied for second under Florent Geroux to return $5.82 and $3.70 with Candied finishing another half-length back in third under Irad Ortiz Jr. and paying $2.68 to show.
It was another three-quarters of a length back to Occult with Neon Icon and Dreaming of Mo following in order. Just F Y I did not finish.
Jose Ortiz (winning rider of 38-1 longshot Gin Gin)
“The plan was to sit behind the speed and Just F Y I broke good and she went, so I just sat behind the speed like (trainer) Brendan (Walsh) told me. From there, I took her onto the backside and decided when to make the move, but the most important thing was I had horse.”
On the value of having gotten the early jump with quality fillies closing behind her
“I felt like the last sixteenth (of a mile) she kept running. I don’t think they were making up any ground on me.”
Brendan Walsh (winning trainer)
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, to be honest with you. Eddie Kane and Mr. (Brad) Kelley (respective farm manager and owner of Calumet Farm, the winning owner) asked me to take her and give her a shot to see if she still had an appetite for (racing) anymore. To be fair to her, she’s done nothing wrong since she came to us. She kind of lost her form at the end of last year, and I think she got a freshening. They did a fantastic job at the farm, actually. But she’s got some good back class, and it’s nice she showed it today. (Jockey) Jose (Ortiz) did a great job too.”
On plans for the rest of the year
“I think they wanted to see if it was worth keeping her in training or not, but off (her performance today) you’d have to say it is. She’s a graded stakes winner now, too, and that’s fantastic. Hopefully, she can build on it. (A graded stakes win at Keeneland) is always nice.”
Florent Geroux (rider of runner-up Tarifa)
“I was expecting to be forward, but she stumbled leaving the gate and got squeezed, so I was in the back. It took her a minute to get herself. She finished with a nice run. I feel like the winner got away, and we just couldn’t run her down.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. (rider of third-place finisher Candied)
“I had a good trip. When I asked her to run, she picked it up. The fractions were honest – a great pace for me. I was behind the speed and got a clear run. I can’t complain about how the race set up. This is her first race back since the Breeders’ Cup (Distaff [G1] at Del Mar on Nov. 2). I am happy she is back and that she showed up. She was excited and on the muscle before the race, and she broke good. I am happy with her.”
