Gin Gin upsets Spinster; Final Score shows speed in Bourbon

Opening week of the Keeneland fall meet wrapped up on Sunday with a trio of stakes, including two “Win and You’re In” qualifiers to the Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup.

Spinster (G1)

The $650,000 Spinster was billed as a showdown between 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna and accomplished sophomore Nitrogen. But it was 18-1 longshot Gin Gin who sprang a surprise in the 1 1/8-mile Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) qualifier.

Winner of the Doubledogdare (G3) during the spring meet at Keeneland, the Calumet Farm homebred enjoyed returning to Lexington’s legendary oval for the Spinster.

Gin Gin broke sharply under jockey Luis Saez and assumed command through splits of :23.74, :46.69, and 1:10.40. Thorpedo Anna took up a seemingly comfortable position tracking in second place, while the slow-starting Nitrogen recovered to race wide in third position. Scylla and Chilled trailed early.

Rounding the final turn, Thorpedo Anna failed to respond to urging and dropped back, allowing Nitrogen to advance and challenge Gin Gin. But Gin Gin wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. The Brendan Walsh trainee dug deep in the drive and gamely turned back Nitrogen’s prolonged bid to prevail by a head in 1:49.77.

Scylla closed to finish third, while Thorpedo Anna faded to fourth, and Chilled completed the order of finish.

“I just tried to keep her comfortable,” said Saez. “I knew we were rolling pretty fast, and we had pressure the whole way. But this filly loves the pressure. She was running pretty well. Brendan told me, ‘Don’t take anything away from her. Just let her run and let her be happy, and she’s going to finish for you.’ And she did. She came to the top of the stretch and she had a pretty good victory.”

The Spinster outcome was a stark reversal of the form from Gin Gin’s previous start. She was last seen finishing a distant fourth to Thorpedo Anna in the June 28 Fleur de Lis (G2). It also reversed the outcome of the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1), Gin Gin’s only other try at the Grade 1 level, in which she ran 12th behind Thorpedo Anna.

“It’s great because she was in great order in the spring when she won the Doubledogdare, and we felt she went a little downwards on us after that,” said Walsh. “We brought her up to Saratoga—(assistant trainer) Charlie (Lynch) had her at Saratoga—and got her back up and right, and when she came back here I couldn’t believe how well she did, how good she looked and everything. When she’s on song, she’s actually a very, very good filly.”

For Thorpedo Anna, the Spinster marked her second misfire in an otherwise productive season. She’s won four graded stakes this year, including the Personal Ensign (G1) and Apple Blossom H. (G1), but in the midst of those wins, she ran seventh in the La Troienne (G1).

“She’s taken us on some incredible highs the last two years,” said Kenny McPeek, the trainer of Thorpedo Anna. “We’ve had an amazing journey with her. Horses are like a wave. You are trying to catch a big wave. Unfortunately, this is not a good day for her. We’re all disappointed. Not even going to think about Breeders’ Cup right now, uncharacteristic of her.

“These things don’t last forever. No sure thing in this game. An old guy told me years ago, ‘Win like you are used to it and lose like you like it.’ It’s a humbling business. They have good days and bad days. We are going to lose as gracefully as possible.”

Bourbon (G2)

Shortly after the Spinster, Final Score stamped his credentials as one of North America’s top hopes for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) with a decisive victory in the $400,000 Bourbon (G2).

The 1 1/16-mile grass contest awarded a Win and You’re In berth to the Juvenile Turf, a prize Final Score seized without much difficulty. After vying for command with longshot Casa Cielo through quick splits of :22.51, :47.69, and 1:12.89, Final Score kicked on and was always in command down the lane, prevailing by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:42.51.

“He showed speed before, but not this kind of speed,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr. “I thought it was a little more speed than he would have in the race. I thought we were going to be right behind the speed, but he broke so good and put me in a good position without asking too much. I had talked to the trainer (Todd Pletcher) and he said, ‘If he’s on the lead, fine; let him go.’

“He went a little faster than I wanted, but he got the job done. He deserves a lot of credit. He was a little aggressive going into the first turn, but on the backside, he switched off really nice. After that, I just bided my time turning for home. Then, when we were in the straight, I asked him to go, and he gave me a good turn of foot.”

Turf Star, Gordon Pass, Dr. Agne, Exonerate, Awesome Connection, J J Grey, Blinging It Back, Vintur, Repentless, Password, and Casa Cielo completed the order of finish.

Winning the Bourbon brought Final Score’s turf record to a perfect 3-for-3. The Repole Stable color-bearer previously wired a maiden special weight and the With Anticipation (G3) at Saratoga.

Indian Summer S.

For the third time since the $289,125 Indian Summer returned to the Keeneland stakes program in 2018, a Wesley Ward trainee claimed first prize. Schwarzenegger, a $950,000 yearling acquisition coming off a close runner-up finish on debut at Saratoga, outlasted seven rivals to prevail in the 5 1/2-furlong grass dash for juveniles.

With John Velazquez in the saddle, Schwarzenegger dashed to the front through fast fractions of :21.17 and :44.05, opening up a clear lead in the homestretch. The quick pace took a toll, and Schwarzenegger’s lead diminished rapidly in the closing strides. But the wire came just in time for Schwarzenegger to triumph by half a length in 1:02.28.

“We know he’s super fast,” said Velazquez. “Even out of the gate, he’s so fast out of there, I had to let him jump for three or four jumps before I tried to get a hold of him. He came out running, and all I tried to do was to save him for the end. I don’t think the grass was a favorite today, so I got a good hold of him all the way to past the three-eighths pole to try to save it for the end and lead them all the way around. Wesley had him ready, to go from a maiden to running against winners in a stakes race—that’s a big tip for him.”

Sanford (G3) winner Obliteration, racing for only the second time on turf, had to wait for room in the homestretch before slicing between rivals to take second place by a neck over Rogue Legend and Bobrovsky. Trendsetter, Azizam, Uncle Bucky, and Zeus’s Echo trailed the field.

The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) is next on the agenda for Schwarzenegger, who races for the partnership of Mrs. John Magnier, Mountmellick Farm, Brook T. Smith, and Resolution Road Stables. Ward is looking forward to seeing Schwarzenegger perform at Del Mar.

“We’re heading to the Breeders’ Cup,” said Ward. “He’s a sprinter, and that’s a very fast track out there at Del Mar. It’ll be firm; we won’t have any weather issues, and it won’t be 5 1/2 (furlongs) like it was today. Johnny said there was a lot of moisture in the track today; they watered it pretty good. So when we get to Del Mar, it should be great for him, and it’s also five (furlongs) instead of 5 1/2. So everything’s heading our direction now.”