Olivia Darling kicks away to win the Inside Information (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.— Amo Racing USA’s Olivia Darling received a perfect stalking trip on her way to a commanding 2 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s $200,000 Inside Information (G2) at Gulfstream Park, continuing jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.’s highly successful Pegasus World Cup Day.
The Inside Information, a seven-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares, was among four graded undercard stakes that supported the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) presented by Baccarat, $1 million I/ST BET Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and $500,000 TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2).
Trained by Jorge Delagado, Olivia Darling broke through with her first graded-stakes victory after closely stalking pacesetter Sassy Nature past fractions of 22.20 and 44.82 seconds for the first half mile before kicking in at the top of the stretch and drawing away to give Ortiz has fifth victory with four races to go on a 13-race program.
Bluefield closed to finish second, 2 ¼ lengths ahead of favored defending champion Maryquitecontrary in third.
Maryquitecontrary entered the Inside Information coming off a length victory in the Dec. 30 Rampart, a mile stakes for older fillies and mares. Last season, Rodney Lundock’s homebred captured the Rampart going away prior to a 2 ½-length triumph in the Inside Information.
Olivia Darling, who ran seven furlongs in 1:23.04 Saturday, was coming off a close third-place finish in the Dec. 23 Sugar Swirl (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
The 5-year-old daughter of Palace is named for AMO Racing USA’s Kiavash Joorabchian’s daughter Olivia.
Inside Information Quotes
Winning Trainer Jorge Delgado (Olivia Darling): “The day of the Super Swirl she did run good, but she didn’t give her 100 percent. Maybe she needed the race after the layoff. After that race she has been so much sharper. She has been telling me by all the good signs that she was going to run a good race.
“The fact that Irad rode her once and this was the second time, he knew the filly. He knew how she was going to act, how much she had to give. He knew the filly very well. Perfect trip. Perfect ride. Perfect performance. I could not be more happy.”
Winning Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Olivia Darling): “She broke so well so I let (her) be happy and she just kept responding. When it was time to go, I bide my time to the quarter pole. There was nobody who moved around me and when I asked her, she was there for me. She did it pretty easy.”
