The 17th Running of the G3 Doubledogdare Stakes
April 22, 2022
KEE Race #1 Post Time 18:25
11/16 Dirt $300.000
Fillies and Mares 4yo+ 123 Lbs
Track Record-1:41.16 (Danzig On The Rocks-2017)
Stakes Record-1:41.26 (Arts An Crafts-2012)
The G3 Doubledogdare drew a field that befitted a G1 and on Friday at KEE, the uber-classy Tenrikyo and Naples gave fans a G1-esque finish. Tenrikyo got her head down on the wire to take the $300.000 purse for the 8.5-furlong contest over the fast KEE main track. Hitting the tape in 1:41.59, the Smokey Stover-trained 6yo mare won her 13th race in 33 starts and increased her bankroll to $3,092.510 for her remarkable career.
As expected, it was Miss Steel Mazula that went to the front and dictated the early tempo. Racing on the rail and a half-length in front of Drink Me Pretty, Miss Steel Mazula took :23.23 to cover the opening quarter-mile. Naples sat about three lengths off of the latter in a solo-third while Tenrikyo and Prospectress raced in tandem another length back.
When the half-mile fraction was posted in :46.81, Naples began to start inching her way closer to the front pair and Tenrikyo seemed intent on not allowing last year’s champion 3yo filly to get the jump on her. Sensing the time was right, Naples launched her assault on Miss Steel Mazula just as the latter reached the final bend. Splitting horses, she was within a length of Miss Steel Mazula as that one reached three-quarters in 1:10.51. While the Arindel-trained, reigning 3yo filly champion attacked from the two-path, Tenrikyo looked to go the overland route and forgo the ground to continue her momentum as she swung four-wide.
Naples was the first horse to enter the stretch, and while it looked like she had put away Miss Steel Mazula and Prospectress, Tenrikyo was poised to launch her rally in earnest. At the eighth-pole, Naples was holding a one-length advantage but Tenrikyo was proving resolute in her pursuit. When she reached the sixteenth pole, Naples advantage was just a half length, but she was still running strongly as she tried to repel the bid from her outside. Tenrikyo lunged with all of her being as she neared the wire and was able to hit the wire a head in front. Naples had to settle for the place and was a length clear of Miss Steel Mazula. The latter was followed by Drink Me Pretty and Prospectress to complete the order of finish.
Surely the top four will see each other throughout the season and fans can only hope that they continue to give us the same type of efforts we were fortunate to see on Friday. Congratulations to Tenrikyo and Smokey Stover for their victory in the G3 Doubledogdare and, please, sign us up for the rematches to follow!
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
