Gin Gin Seeks Rebound in Doubledogdare

Calumet Farm's Gin Gin  has performed at her best both times she's previously raced at Keeneland, and her connections hope an April 17 homecoming in the $400,000 Doubledogdare Stakes (G2) will erase any lingering bad memories from the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

In that most recent start five months ago, Gin Gin popped the front of the gate open early and needed to be backed out of the starting gate to reset. Sent out to prompt the pace once breaking with the field, she had an early retreat down the backstretch and was eased.

The performance was quite shocking as it followed a career-best front-running effort in Keeneland's Spinster Stakes (G1) in October, defeating eventual champion 3-year-old filly Nitrogen  by a head after outlasting the pace pressure provided by 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna , who weakened to fourth.

Gin Gin, a 5-year-old homebred daughter of Hightail  , is 2-for-2 at Keeneland, preceding her Spinster win with a triumph in last year's Doubledogdare, which has since been elevated from grade 3 to 2. Trainer Brendan Walsh returned her to the work tab in late February and has her entered Friday off a bullet half-mile work in :46 4/5 over the surface. Favored at 2-1 on the morning line, Gin Gin aims to break the million-dollar earnings mark as she currently sits at $942,796.

Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables' Alpine Princess , the 5-2 second choice, is also aiming to become a millionaire Friday with $978,465 already in the bank. The consistent daughter of Classic Empire , trained by Brad Cox, closed out her 2025 campaign with a milestone first graded victory in the Falls City Stakes (G3).

Her runner-up finish when making her 5-year-old debut in the Royal Delta Stakes (G3) Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park has been highly flattered since. The winner, Claret Beret , returned to win the April 11 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park and third-place finisher Eunomia , who is 9-2 in the Doubledogdare, exited to win a minor stakes at Colonial Downs last month.

St. Elias Stable, WSS Racing, Turf Express, and Stefania Farms' Eunomia is likely to be a pace presence for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., as is Stud TNT's grade 3 winner Running Away  for trainer Wesley Ward.

All four of those runners are closely grouped below 5-1 in the 1 1/16-mile contest, and their remaining four rivals all sit in double digits on the morning line. Fletcher and Carolyn Gray and Doug Hesterly's Peignoir  exits a stakes victory March 21 at Oaklawn Park over the same distance for Rodolphe Brisset, and trainer Todd Fincher sends Peacock Family Racing Stable's Aye Candy  off a pair of stakes triumphs going shorter at Sunland Park.

Grade 1-placed Ourdaydreaminggirl  and Chilled , last of five behind Gin Gin in the Spinster, round out the eight-horse field.