Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen’s Pink Sands powered down the middle of the track to complete a last-to-first move under jockey Jose Ortiz and earn her second straight graded stakes triumph of the Championship Meet in Saturday’s $200,000 Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream Park. This also marked Tapit’s fourth graded stakes winner of the year, only 25 days into 2020.
The 42nd running of the seven-furlong Inside Information for fillies and mares was completed in 1:23.42 over a fast main track. It marked Pink Sands’s fourth win from five tries at Gulfstream, including the one-mile Rampart (G3) Dec. 14. Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey said of the Tapit filly’s victory, “That was special. This filly has gotten good, and she loves this track… Today was her best race yet.”
Liza Star was sent to the lead from her rail post and took the field through a quarter-mile in 22.47 seconds before graded stakes winner Blamed took over after a half in 45.34. Ortiz began to work on Pink Sands around the turn, putting her into a contending position and splitting horses at the top of the stretch, then set her down for a drive as they caught and passed multiple Grade 1 winner and 8-5 favorite Spiced Perfection and edged clear.
Said winning jockey Jose Ortiz, “She’s a come-from-behind filly, I can’t change that. But I was expecting a hot pace. I saw it was 45 and change; I was expecting like 44. But she was traveling well. I didn’t fall asleep on her and I tried to be as close as I could without taking her out of her rhythm. When she got to the quarter pole, she started rolling. I was just waiting for some room and when she got it, she was there for me.”
Pink Sands is by Tapit, out of Her Smile, by Include. The filly was bred in Kentucky by KatieRich Farms, and is owned by Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen. Pink Sands was a $625,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale.
Tapit stands at Gainesway for $200,000.