Alpine Princess outduels Eunomia to win Doubledogdare by a neck

Alpine Princess’s first race at Keeneland, in the Alcibiades Stakes in October 2023, produced a 28 1/4-length defeat. Her second, on Friday, yielded a neck victory in the Grade 2, $400,000 Doubledogdare Stakes.

Trainer Brad Cox freshened 5-year-old Alpine Princess after she finished a well-beaten second Feb. 14 at Gulfstream Park in the Royal Delta Stakes, a loss that looked better when the Royal Delta winner, Claret Beret, returned with an easy score in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom.

Saffie Joseph trains Claret Beret, and it was the Joseph-trained Eunomia whom Alpine Princess had to run down in this short-stretch 1 1/16-mile dirt race. No doubt, Cox had Alpine Princess finely tuned for this start. She broke alertly enough from the rail – jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. never left the fence – and stalked the pace set by Running Away, who went a half-mile in 47.30 seconds. Alpine Princess went along well in hand, traveling like a winner.

Complications came on the second part of the far turn, with Running Away beginning to tire as Eunomia, chased by Peignor, made an outside bid for the lead. Ortiz, winning for the fourth time in the first nine races Friday, sat chilly, waiting for a gap. It finally came after turning for home, with Ortiz and Alpine Princess bravely holding their position as Eunomia drifted down toward them. With her rival straightened out, Alpine Princess went through the gap and was edging away at the line.

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“Into the turn, Irad looked like he had plenty of horse,” Cox said. “It was a good move going up the inside. I think that was the winning move.”

The top two proved much the best, with Peignor checking in third, 6 1/2 lengths behind Eunomia. Gin Gin, the 5-2 third choice and the 2025 Doubledogdare winner, broke flat-footed, stalked the pace, came under a ride with three furlongs out, and backed up to finish seventh, beating only Aye Candy. Alpine Princess clocked 1:44.09 over a fast track and paid $6.10 as the close second choice behind surprisingly favored Eunomia.

Cox trains Alpine Princess for Full of Run Racing and Madaket Stables, and Alpine Princess is a daughter of Classic Empire and Le Moine, by Curlin. Despite capping her 4-year-old campaign by capturing her first graded stakes, the Grade 3 Falls City in November, connections brought Alpine Princess back for a 5-year-old campaign rather than breeding her. Friday, the mare showed why.

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