Alpine Princess outduels Eunomia in Keeneland Doubledogdare Stakes upset

Alpine Princess turned a tight, messy trip into a career-defining finish, edging Eunomia by a neck in the Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland after saving ground all the way and finding enough late to finish the job. Irad Ortiz Jr. gave Brad Cox’s mare a patient ride, and when the lane opened she answered with the kind of fight that separates a good allowance horse from a legitimate graded stakes mare.

The 5-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of Classic Empire out of Le Moine covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.09 on a fast track and returned $6.10 to win in the 31st running of the race, which was elevated to Grade 2 status for 2026. Running Away carved out the early tempo, setting fractions of :23.47, :47.30 and 1:12.36 before the pressure shifted to the far turn and upper stretch. Eunomia, with Flavien Prat aboard, briefly got the jump, but Alpine Princess dug in and wore her down in the final stages. Peignoir finished third, 6 1/2 lengths back, a gap that made the top two look isolated from the rest of the field.

The win pushed Alpine Princess’ career earnings to $1,217,165 and lifted her record to 19-7-5-4, a line that now reads like a mare who has learned how to turn pressure into profit. Keeneland said the $400,000 race, which included $100,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, was another step up the ladder for older fillies and mares. It was also the kind of performance that matters in context: not a record threat, not a runaway, just efficient, controlled, and relentless enough to win a Grade 2 when the trip demanded it.

That is why this felt bigger than a narrow score. Alpine Princess did not merely get the perfect spot and survive it. She took a difficult rail path, handled traffic, and still finished with purpose against a favorite bred and regarded to be dangerous. Co-owner Dann Glick said the mare now has two graded stakes victories and praised Ortiz, Cox and Linda Sims for helping deliver the result. With Gin Gin, Raging Sea, Frost Point and Malathaat already on the race’s recent winners list, Alpine Princess joined a sharp group and, more importantly, gave herself a new standing among older fillies and mares headed deeper into the spring.