Doubledogdare First Stakes Victory for Electric Forest
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Electric Forest and Jose Ortiz win the Doubledogdare over a sloppy track at Keeneland
Stonestreet Stables homebred Electric Forest earned her first stakes victory April 19 over a sloppy (sealed) track in Keeneland's Hilliard Lyons-Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares in her season debut. The 4-year-old Curlin filly is 2-for-2 at the Lexington track and has three wins from five starts.
Trained by Chad Brown, Electric Forest led from the start, breaking sharply from the rail for jockey Jose Ortiz and taking the field of four others through fractions of :24.25, :47.93, and 1:12.08 for the first six furlongs. Electric Forest kept about a length between herself and Go Google Yourself, with favored Golden Award giving chase in third.
Approaching the far turn, Go Google Yourself drew almost on even terms with Electric Forest but was unable to get past the tenacious filly, who drew away again. Ortiz kept Electric Forest to task, fending off the pursuit of Go Google Yourself, who shortened a 1 1/2-length lead in the stretch to three-quarters of a length at the wire.
Electric Forest finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.25. Go Google Yourself finished five lengths in front of third-place Promise of Spring, who just got in front of Golden Award. Moonlit Garden was fifth throughout.
"She broke really sharp, and that helped me a lot out of the one hole," Ortiz said. "With the track being speed-favoring, I wasn't afraid to go out there (to the lead). She relaxed very good (down the backstretch), but we picked it up pretty good. When we passed the sixteenth pole, she made the lead and stayed there. The filly gave me another run."
The win was Ortiz's third of the day. He also won with Chad Brown trainees Royal Charlotte in an optional-claiming allowance race and Guarana in a maiden special weight for 3-year-old fillies.
Tyler Gaffalione aboard the Bill Mott trainee Golden Award thought the track wasn't to the 4-year-old Medaglia d'Oro filly's liking. The loss ended a run of three straight wins from September to January.
"I really don't think she cared for the track that much today," he said. "She kind of slipped a couple of times around the far turn when I started to engage the leaders. It really wasn't to her liking. She pulled up good. Everything's fine, and she'll show her ability next time."
In April 2018, Electric Forest broke her maiden going 6 1/2 furlongs on debut at Keeneland. She then finished sixth in an optional-claiming allowance race at Churchill Downs before winning an allowance at Aqueduct Racetrack. In her last start of her sophomore year, she finished runner-up to Tequilita in the one-mile Rampart Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Out of the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music, Electric Forest is a half sister to Lazaro Barrera Stakes (G3) winner and grade 2-placed Kentuckian and two other winners from four foals to race. Forest Music is a grade 2 winner herself, and she placed third in the 2004 Prioress (G1) and Test (G1) stakes.