Pink Sands Rallies Last to First in Rampart Stakes
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Pink Sands wins the Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Gainesway Stable and Andrew Rosen's Pink Sands rallied from last and ran down frontrunning Cookie Dough to capture her first graded score in the $100,000 Rampart Stakes (G3) Dec. 14 at Gulfstream Park.
The 4-year-old Tapit filly, who won her first stakes in the June 22 Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park for trainer Shug McGaughey, was 10th early as favored Cookie Dough led the way through fractions of :23.47 and :45.72 the first half-mile. Pink Sands, ridden by Jose Ortiz, was only into seventh as Cookie Dough ran three-quarters in 1:10.27, and she had 4 1/2 lengths to make up while fifth in the stretch.
Though Cookie Dough was three lengths clear under jockey Paco Lopez passing the grandstand, the pacesetter began to slow down approaching the wire, and Pink Sands flew home late on the outside to finish a half-length in front. The final time for the mile was 1:36.20 on a fast track. The winner paid $11 for a $2 win bet.
"That's the way she wants to run, and Jose knows how to ride her," McGaughey said. "The :23 (first quarter) worried me a little bit, but the :45 (half) I thought might be fast enough. She's going to go wide—that's her deal—and when she kicks like that and she gets a little bit of a chance, she's tough. I think she likes this racetrack. We're happy today."
"We were hoping speed would develop in front of us and she would close," Ortiz added. "It was really tough to get by Cookie Dough—she's a really nice filly. I was a little worried because when she gets going, I don't want to stop her. She likes the track a lot, too."
Cairenn ran from ninth to finish third—3 1/2 lengths behind Cookie Dough—and Baccarat Fashion was another 1 1/2 lengths back in fourth after pressing the pace.
Bred in Kentucky by KatieRich Farms, Pink Sands is the second foal out of the Include mare Her Smile, winner of the Prioress Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park. Her Smile foaled a Candy Ride colt in March and was bred back to Arrogate .
KatieRich Farms consigned Pink Sands in 2016 to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The filly was purchased by Hugo Merry Bloodstock for $625,000. From a 5-3-4 record in 17 starts, she's earned $352,980.
McGaughey hasn't ruled out another Gulfstream Park race for Pink Sands after the turn of the year.
"We'll have to sit down and look at what's next," he said. "There's the (Jan. 25) Inside Information (G2), and we'd probably get some gas going seven-eighths, so it's possible, but we'll just have to wait and see."