Gin Gin Springs Major Upset in Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland

At odds of $79.76, Gin Gin, a daughter of Hightail, pulled off a stunning upset with a commanding 5 1/4-length victory over Tarifa in the Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland. Champion Just F Y I failed to finish the race

Gin Gin Drew Off Like a Heavy Favorite / KEENELAND

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (Special to Turf Diario) – On a day when all eyes were fixed on champions Just F Y I (Justify) and Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}), it was Gin Gin who delivered a show-stopping performance in the GIII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes going 1 1/16 miles over the Keeneland main track Friday.

Sporting the iconic silks of Calumet Farm and guided by José Ortiz, the 4-year-old daughter of Hightail surged to the front midway around the far turn and never looked back, powering away to a 5 1/4-length victory over Tarifa(Bernardini) in a final time of 1:45.15 over a fast track.

The win marked Ortiz’s second in the race following his 2019 score aboard Electric Forest (Curlin), while it was the first graded success for Gin Gin, who improved her record to 10-3-2-2, with earnings now totaling $461,596, including the winner’s share of $214,288.

The early stages of the race saw Just F Y I, making her seasonal debut, go to the front through fractions of :23.19 and :47.70, with Gin Gin tracking just behind. Occult (Into Mischief) advanced outside as they approached the turn, but Gin Gin took command decisively, opened up into the stretch, and widened with ease. Her margin of victory was the second-largest in the history of the Baird Doubledogdare, topped only by Dancethruthedawn (Mr. Prospector), who won by 5 1/2 lengths in 2002.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Gin Gin is out of the Hard Spun mare Before You Know It, and seems to be thriving in her new surroundings with trainer Brendan Walsh.

“The plan was to sit close, and when Just F Y I broke sharply and went on with it, I got in behind her, just like Brendan told me,” said José Ortiz. “From there, I let her settle down the backstretch and picked the right moment to move. The most important thing was that I had a horse underneath me. I felt like she was still running hard in the final sixteenth. I don’t think anyone was making up ground.”

Walsh added: “To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. Eddie Kane and Mr. Brad Kelley [Calumet Farm’s manager and owner] asked me to take her on and see if she still wanted to run. Since she arrived in the barn, she’s done everything right. She’d lost her form a bit last year, and I think the time off really helped. The farm did a tremendous job. She’s always shown class, and she reminded us of that today. José gave her a perfect ride. The goal was to find out if she was worth continuing with, and I think today gave us that answer. Now she’s a graded stakes winner—how great is that? Hopefully she can keep progressing. Winning a graded race at Keeneland is always special.”

Tarifa, under Florent Geroux, rallied for second, with Candied and Irad Ortiz Jr. managing a one-paced third, beaten half a length for the place.

As for Just F Y I, the heavy favorite, her much-anticipated return ended in disappointment, as she was eased and did not finish the race.