Clean trip would give Cinnabunny big shot in Inside Information

While much of the focus on Saturday regarding trainer Brad Cox’s stable is on Knicks Go in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park, he has another horse on the 12-race card that deserves attention.

Despite her third-place finish as the favorite in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl Stakes, Cinnabunny is among the top contenders for Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Inside Information Stakes for females going seven furlongs, a race that goes off about two hours before the Pegasus World Cup.

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Cinnabunny, a 4-year-old daughter of Golden Lad, was making her first start for Cox in the six-furlong Sugar Swirl. She was purchased privately coming off two fast, front-running allowance wins at Parx. In the Sugar Swirl, however, Cinnabunny got away slowly and was last of six early. She attempted to rally in the lane, but could not catch winner Lady’s Island, who scored a front-running victory while drifting out and perhaps inhibiting Cinnabunny, among others.

“I thought it was a positive race,” Cox said. “It may have not come back the fastest race, but I was pleased with her effort. She showed a new dimension. It was really the first time she was passing horses as opposed to just going to the lead and staying on.”

Cox said jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told him “that if it wasn’t as tight late she could have gotten up.”

Cox added that Ortiz “didn’t feel like the seven furlongs moving forward would be an issue.”

Cinnabunny will break from post 2 under Ortiz in the Inside Information.

Sound Machine was a neck behind Cinnabuny in fourth in the Sugar Swirl. Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. felt the stewards should have disqualified Lady’s Island from first for bothering multiple horses, including Sound Machine.

Joseph likes the way Sound Machine has trained since that race, but he does have a reservation about the distance.

“The seven-eighths is a bit of a question mark, but she’s drawn perfect, she’s in really good form,” Joseph said. “She’s going to run a bang-up race. If it was six furlongs, I’d be really confident.”

Jose Ortiz rides Sound Machine from post 7.

The Florida-bred Thissmytime brings a two-race winning streak into the Inside Information. She won the Sunshine Millions Sprint Preview going seven furlongs over a wet Gulfstream Park West track and then was a front-running winner of an open-company allowance on Dec. 24. Edgard Zayas rides from post 4.

Bronx Beauty closed well to be second with a clean trip in the Grade 3 Sugar Swirl. She is, however, 0 for 5 at seven furlongs and 0 for 5 at Gulfstream.

Sally’s Curlin won the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie going seven furlongs here last March, but is 0 for 5 since. Dream Marie has hit the board at big prices in several graded stakes, including a second at 8-1 in the Grade 3 Rampart going a mile on Dec. 12.

Piedi Bianchi and Pacific Gale round out the field.