Gin Gin

Good first impressions are a must in most professional situations, and Gin Gin (Hightail) stepped up in a big way for new trainer Brendan Walsh when she dominated the GIII Baird Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland Friday evening. Previously in the barn of Brad Cox, she had a stakes win in New York to her credit in 2024 by way of the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct in mid-January, but went winless for the rest of the season including a start in the GI Kentucky Oaks. Running 12th in the premier spring...

With 50 horses stabled at Payson Park Training Center this winter for the first time in his two-decade career, the 2020 and '21 Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox now has a geographically easier time targeting Florida races. On Wednesday, Cox won with his first Tampa Bay Downs starter since 2019. And since Nov. 30, he's compiled a 1-3-0 record from six starts at Gulfstream Park, where he started only 50 runners over the past five years, generally by shipping in from his customary bases at Fair Grounds and Oaklawn Park,...

This week's morning action at Churchill Downs only served to entice onlookers by the sheer breadth and quality of contenders set to line up for the 150th renewal of the GI Kentucky Oaks and its undercard Friday. A stacked field of 14 is set for the Oaks, led by the 7-2 morning line choice Tarifa (Bernardini), who drew post 8 but moves in to the seven slot following Thursday's scratch of Tapit Jenallie (Tapit). Flavien Prat has the mount on the GII Rachel Alexandra S. and GII Fair Grounds Oaks...

Jody's Pride (f, 3, American Pharoah--Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) opened her 2024 with style here as she outgamed Carmelina (Maximus Mischief) to claim her first stakes win of the season in the Busher S. A dirt horse by accident after her maiden turf dash debut Aug. 9 at Saratoga was brought off the grass and she dominated by 10 1/2 lengths, it was a similar story for the Matron S. in her second start Oct. 8 when that six-panel sprint also came off the turf and again sending Jody's...

West Sunset (f, 2, West Coast--Vindicated Ghost, by Vindication) didn't let the Kentucky rain slow her down en route to a stylish coast-to-coast victory in a sloppy rendition of the Rags to Riches S. beneath the Twin Spires. Coming into the race with a neck victory over a fast main track at this venue Sept. 16 after being forced to close from the back of the field, she took a diametrically opposed trip here, immediately establishing a clear lead right from the jump. Well in hand on a loose lead...