Keeneland: Alpine Princess battles to Doubledogdare win

Alpine Princess surged by favored Eunomia passing the sixteenth pole to post a neck victory in the 31st running of the $400,000 Doubledogdare (G2) for fillies and mares Friday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for owners Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables, Alpine Princess completed the mile and a sixteenth over a fast main track in 1:44.09. It is the second win in the race for Cox, who also won with Bonny South in 2021.

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The victory was the fourth of the afternoon for Ortiz and second for Cox. Both are dominating the jockey and trainer standings of the Spring Meet.

Running Away led the field of eight through fractions of 23.47, 47.30 and 1:12.36 with Eunomia second and Alpine Princess third while getting a ground-saving trip. Entering the short stretch, Eunomia took over only to have Alpine Princess ease on by at the sixteenth pole to claim her second graded-stakes victory.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Alpine Princess is a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Classic Empire out of the Curlin mare Le Moine. The victory was worth $238,700 and increased Alpine Princess’ earnings to $1,217,165 with a record of 19: 7-5-4.

Alpine Princess returned $6.10, $2.84 and $2.44. Eunomia, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $3.08 and $2.68 and finished 6 1/2 lengths in front of Peignoir, who paid $4.16 to show under Tyler Gaffalione.

It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Running Away with Ourdaydreaminggirl, Chilled, defending champion Gin Gin and Aye Candy following in order.