Doubledogdare Stakes Predictions, Odds, Picks (Keeneland)

Odds for Doubledogdare Stakes taken from Twinspires Sportsbook

Doubledogdare Stakes Predictions and Best Bets

Here are my plays ($40 in total)

$20 Trifecta Key – Malathaat over Bonny South and Lady Mystify = $40

Top Pick –  Malathaat (1/1)

Malathaat, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2021, makes her long-awaited return to the races when she headlines a field of six older females entered for Friday’s $300,000 Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland.

An impeccably bred daughter of Curlin, the Todd Pletcher-trained filly earned the first of three Grade 1 victories in her seasonal debut last spring at Keeneland in the Ashland Stakes. Wins in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs and Alabama at Saratoga solidified her

She closed out her championship season with a near-miss in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar. The third-place finish, in which she was beaten only by a half-length, came 5 ½ months ago and the 1 1/16-mile Doubledogdare will be her first start since.

Chief among her challengers will be the multiple stakes winners Bonny South and Crazy Beautiful.

Bonny South, a 5-year-old daughter of Munnings trained by Brad Cox is the defending champion of the Grade 3 Doubledogdare, having won it in her seasonal debut last year. When last seen, she finished second in the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Downs five months ago.

Crazy Beautiful, meanwhile, comes in off a stakes win in Turfway Park’s Latonia Stakes on April 2. A 4-year-old daughter of Liam’s Map, the recent stakes victory was her sixth stakes win overall.

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 Doubledogdare Stakes Predictions and Race Analysis

Malathaat

Champion Malathaat Headlines Field Of Six For Friday’s Baird Doubledogdare. Read in #BarnNotes → https://t.co/6TaIUjXPsv pic.twitter.com/o1h659qD5m

— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 19, 2022

Trained by Todd Pletcher, this daughter of Curlin has been as consistent as they come in her first two seasons on the racetrack. Unbeaten and a two-time stakes winner at 2, she was even better last year. The Kentucky Oaks winner was very deserving of her Eclipse Award.

Having been away since the Breeders’ Cup, where she ran a terrific race, there is reason to wonder if she will be fully cranked up for this, but as consistent as she has always been, and trained by Pletcher, you have to believe she will return running.

The three-time Grade 1 winner has won at Keeneland and has won off the layoff before. She also should be able to work out a good trip behind the early speed and ahead of her most dangerous rival. This looks like a winning spot for the classy champion. She is the top pick.

Bonny South

The defending race champion will also be making her first start of the season on Friday. One year ago, she returned at the same time away to win a three-horse photo in the Doubledogdare. It was her only win of the year, but she ran some very good races when finishing behind Letruska.

Like Malathaat, she does her best running from behind, but of the two, I believe the favorite is the one with a little more tactical speed. If the two-speed horses in here set down a solid early pace, she should come running for trainer Brad Cox.

With similarity in both running style and time away, we should find out where this one stands in the older female division on Friday. But as far as beating Malathaat, I don’t love her chances.

Crazy Beautiful

This daughter of Liam’s Map has been able to score in a bushel of stakes races over the last 20 months. It seems like when she faces fillies that are a cut or two below the best, she is often able to shine. Unfortunately, Malathaat is one of the very best.

In fact, the two times that she did face the champion last year, this Kenny McPeek runner finished way back. Perhaps the small field will help her chances on Friday, but I have grown to not trust her against this type.

Still, she is one of the four horses that fits here, and should be respected for her accomplishments. Despite the recent stakes win at Turfway, I am going to pass on her here.

Lady Mystify

When she’s good, this Peter Eurton-trained daughter of Bernardini can be very good. She broke her maiden at Santa Anita by 18 lengths, and a few starts back she dominated the very nice Pauline’s Pearl in the Grade 3 Remington Park Oaks.

Unfortunately, she is not always willing to give her best, as evidenced by a couple of bad performances, including last time behind Ce Ce in the Grade 2 Azeri. Because of the stinker, she will offer some value here, if she can bring back the good form.

Another plus is she will get top rider Flavien Prat back in the saddle, and she has always run well for him. I expect a bounce-back performance here which should land her a spot in the exotics.

Audrey’s Moment

Primarily an allowance horse during her career, she does seem to have stepped things up a notch over the last six months or so, and in fact, she became a stakes winner three starts back in New Orleans for trainer Neil Pessin.

Having said that, this Uncle Mo mare was no match for the classy Clairiere last time, and of course, Malathaat beat Clairiere all four times they met last year. The last points out that she is still a few notches below the top mares in the nation, and in the favorite, that is exactly what she’ll face in the Doubledogdare.

Super Quick

A daughter of Super Saver, she will be making her stakes debut in a tough spot on Friday. Trained by Norm Casse, she was able to win three straight against maiden and allowance company in Kentucky last fall, but she backed right out of her only start this year.

This speedy filly should be able to keep Lady Mystify occupied on the front end early, but as far as sticking around when the serious running begins, I find it hard to recommend her. She looks best on a sloppy track and against cheaper.

How to Watch the Doubledogdare Stakes