Blue Prize Heads Field of Nine in Doubledogdare

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Blue Prize Heads Field of Nine in Doubledogdare
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Photo: Keeneland Photo
Blue Prize wins the 2018 Spinster Stakes at Keeneland

Merriebelle Stable's Blue Prize will make her 6-year-old debut in the $100,000 Hilliard Lyons- Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) April 19 at Keeneland against eight older fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile feature.

Blue Prize, who is based at Keeneland with trainer Ignacio Correas IV, pulled off a three-race win streak in graded company last year, topped by winning the Oct. 7 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) while veering in the stretch during Keeneland's fall meet. The Argentine-bred Pure Prize mare also won the June 16 Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) and Sept. 15 Locust Grove Stakes (G3), both at Churchill Downs, and finished fourth there in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Blue Prize holds a consistent record of 7-7-1 from 17 starts.

Roberta and Ward Williford and Charles Winner's La Force will ship East again from Patrick Gallagher's Santa Anita Park base. The 5-year-old Power mare receives a class break in the Doubledogdare after finishing eighth in the Distaff. Leading up to the Breeders' Cup, La Force ran second in three consecutive grades 1s—the June 2 Beholder Mile Stakes at Santa Anita, the July 29 Clement  L. Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar, and Sept. 30 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita—and finished second to champion Unique Bella twice.

St. George Stable's Jala Jala, a grade 1 winner in her native Mexico, is in search of her first stateside victory against open company. She won two restricted stakes at Gulfstream Park—the Caribbean Classic and the Confraternity Caribbean Cup—and finished second in the Feb. 16 Royal Delta Stakes (G3) there. She is back with trainer Fausto Gutierrez after finishing fifth in the March 16 Inside Information Stakes (G2) for Antonio Sano.

Electric Forest, Promise of Spring, Moonlit Garden, Go Google Yourself, Golden Award, and Echo complete the field.


Entries: Hilliard Lyons-Baird Doubledogdare S. (G3)

Keeneland, Friday, April 19, 2019, Race 9

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 5:30 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 Jala Jala (MEX) Luis Saez 118 Fausto Gutierrez -
2 Blue Prize (ARG) Joe Bravo 123 Ignacio Correas, IV -
3 Electric Forest (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Chad C. Brown -
4 Promise of Spring (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Steve Margolis -
5 Moonlit Garden (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 118 Christopher Davis -
6 La Force (GER) Drayden Van Dyke 118 Patrick Gallagher -
7 Go Google Yourself (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Paul J. McGee -
8 Golden Award (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 118 William I. Mott -
9 Eqho (KY) Rodney A. Prescott 118 Cipriano Contreras -