Tickled Pink wows in debut

Tickled Pink won Saturday at first asking. Photo by The Racing Biz.

by Frank Vespe

There’s only so much a horse can do to prove itself in one race. A maiden victory can only mean so much.

The chart describes three-year-old Tickled Pink’s career debut Sunday at Laurel Park as a 1 1/4 length victory over My Golden Rose in a five-horse field.

As he returned to the winner’s circle, her jockey, Trevor McCarthy described it thusly: “Wow,” he said to Adrian Rolls, assistant to trainer Graham Motion.

Ticked Pink is bred to be any kind. She is by Shackledford, whose multiple Grade 1 victories included the 2011 Preakness Stakes. And she is out of the productive French Deputy mare Champagne Royale, whose offspring include millionaire Majestic Harbor and Danza, winner of the 2014 Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and show horse, behind California Chrome, in that year’s Kentucky Derby.

Owned by Burning Daylight Farms and Rebecca Galbraith, Tickled Pink broke sharply in the $40,000 maiden special weight test before being taken back by McCarthy to sit third. She tipped outside rounding the turn, took over near the head of the lane, and went on to win in 1:38 flat. McCarthy barely moved a muscle during the stretch run.

Here’s what McCarthy had to say:

She’s really impressive. I had a ton of horse, and it just seemed like she was loaded all the way. She broke really sharp, which I was surprised by. I got her back just to teach her something, just to get a little bit of dirt, let her angle her way out, let her get comfortable on the turn.

Past the 3/8ths, I was like, I don’t know how much I’m going to win by. Once she got out on her own, she was like, all right, who’s next?

She’s still a bit green. But for her to be green and win that impressively, I really like her. She’s got a beautiful way of moving.

[Before the race] Everybody at the barn was so excited. It was kinda cool. I got to hear a lot about her the other day when I was there in the morning and worked some horses.