PEPPERS PRIDE TO RISK PERFECT RECORD FOR PERHAPS THE LAST TIME SUNDAY
Peppers Pride could be making the final start of her spotless
career Sunday at Sunland Park in Sunland Park, N.M., when the
five-year-old mare takes on seven opponents in the $125,000 New
Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap, a race restricted to
New Mexico-bred fillies and mares.
The winner of 18 races without a loss, Peppers Pride set a
modern North American record for consecutive victories when she
captured her 17th straight win in an optional claiming race on
October 4 at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M. But Sunday's performance,
win or lose, could be her last as her connections mull a
breeding career for their undefeated horse.
"We've been investigating different opportunities for stallions
in Kentucky and elsewhere," Joel Marr, the trainer of Peppers
Pride, told Thoroughbred Times. "This most likely will be her
last start."
The New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap, race 10 on the
Sunday card at Sunland, is slated to go off at 4:00 p.m. local,
Mountain time.
PAMONA BALL SEEKS THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY IN HOLLYWOOD STARLET
Pamona Ball will take a big step up in class as she aims for her
third consecutive victory and her first graded stakes win in
Saturday's Grade I, $429,500 Hollywood Starlet at Hollywood Park
in Inglewood, Calif.
Trained by Eoin Harty, Pamona Ball followed up a maiden win in
October by rallying to score a one-length victory over Toro
Bonito in the Sharp Cat Stakes at Hollywood in November. Both
were run at the Starlet distance of 1 1/16 miles.
"She didn't have any trouble negotiating two turns in her last
two starts," Harty said. "It's just a big jump up in quality.
Either she's good enough or she isn't."
The 28th running of the Starlet drew a talented field of seven
2-year-old fillies, which will line up as follows from the rail
out:
Toro Bonito, with David Flores up; Laragh, Edgar Prado; Alpha
Kitten, Mike Smith; Wynning Ride, Joe Talamo; Dave's Revenge,
Kent Desormeaux; Pamona Ball, Rafael Bejarano, and Black Magic
Mama, Corey Nakatani. All carry 120 pounds.
Dave's Revenge defeated Pamona Ball while making her career
debut at Del Mar on August 31. In just her second start, the
daughter of The Cliff's Edge finished fourth in the Breeders'
Cup Juvenile Fillies behind Stardom Bound.
"She was beaten three lengths in the Breeders' Cup and was an
inch away from being Grade I stakes-placed," trainer Bob Hess
Jr. said. "She ran a fantastic race. She's a very good filly."
Eastern shipper Laragh broke her maiden on Woodbine's synthetic
surface and won the Jessamine on turf at Keeneland in her fourth
start. She then finished third after setting the pace in the
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Oak Tree at Santa Anita.
Trained by John Terranova, she leads the field with earnings of
$246,345.
Toro Bonito got away slowly in the Sharp Cat, but closed for
second money. The Bob Baffert-trained filly will be joined by
stablemate Wynning Ride. The latter broke her maiden while
making her first start for Ron McAnally and was fourth in the
seven-furlong Moccasin while making her second start under the
care of Baffert.
Alpha Kitten has been impressive in her lone two starts. She
broke her maiden in August at Del Mar, and then finished second
behind speedy Mi Chiamano Mimi in the six-furlong Anoakia Stakes
at Santa Anita in mid-October.
Black Magic Mama has yet to win, but trainer Doug O'Neill
thought enough of the daughter of Black Mambo to enter her in
the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she finished eighth.
"She had a troubled trip in the Breeders' Cup and finished
second in a maiden race here after that," O'Neill said. "She
came back quickly in that maiden race and we gave her a good
freshening. She'll be forgotten (in the wagering), but she's
doing well enough to belong in there."
Four GRADED STAKES ON GRAND SLAM DAY SATURDAY AT CALDER
Presious Passion will bid for a repeat victory in the Grade II,
$150,000 W.L. McKnight Handicap on Saturday's Grand Slam program
at Calder Race Course in Miami. The McKnight shares top
Saturday billing with the Grade II, $150,000 La Prevoyante
Handicap for fillies and mares. Both races are at 1 miles on
turf, and they highlight an outstanding 12-race program that
also will include renewals of the Grade III, $100,000 Fred W.
Hooper Handicap and the Grade III, $100,000 Kenny Noe, Jr.
Handicap for 3-year-olds and up run at 1 1/8 miles and seven
furlongs on the main track, respectively.
Presious Passion was a shocking 67-to-1 winner of the W.L.
McKnight Handicap last year for trainer Mary Hartmann and,
although he won't be that big a price Saturday, he probably will
not be the favorite after two dull efforts in his most recent
starts when finishing sixth in both the Turf Classic at Belmont
Park and the Red Smith Handicap at Aqueduct, both races run over
'yielding' ground.
Other solid contenders in a wide-open field of 12 include
Sam-Son Farms' Windward Islands, Always First and Gran Estreno.
Windward Islands will arrive from trainer Mark Frostad's winter
headquarters at Fair Grounds to make his first start since a
good fourth-place effort last out in the Grade II Sky Classic
Stakes at Woodbine on October 25. Always First ships in from
Maryland for trainer Tom Voss, who won the 2004 W.L.McKnight
with Dreadnaught. Gran Estreno is the wild card in the field as
the 5-year-old makes his North American stakes debut for trainer
Rick Dutrow. The son of Lucky Roberto was a Group I winner on
turf in Argentina in 2006 and will be making only his fourth
start in the U.S., but he looked good winning an 11-furlong
allowance at Meadowlands last out on October 14.
The La Prevoyante field is headed by J'ray, who should be right
at home over the Calder turf course where she has won twice and
finished second twice in as many races over the last two years
for trainer Todd Pletcher. J'ray's most formidable challenger in
the field of 11 may be Communique, who was second in the Grade
I Beverly D Stakes in August at Arlington Park and third in
September's Grade I Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park.
RACING TO HISTORY
Dec. 11, 1983: John Henry became the first racehorse to surpass
$4 million in career earnings when he won the Hollywood Turf Cup
with jockey Chris McCarron at Hollywood Park.
Dec. 12, 1942: More than 20,000 racegoers turned out to watch
1941 Triple Crown winner Whirlaway win the inaugural Louisiana
Handicap at Fair Grounds, staged in part as a war relief effort
by the newly formed Thoroughbred Racing Associations.
Dec. 12, 1997: Jockey Russell Baze, the only jockey to win 400
or more races in a year more than three times, accomplished the
feat for a sixth straight season at Golden Gate Fields.
Dec. 13, 1986: Jockey Kent Desormeaux had his first career
stakes win, aboard Godbey, in the Maryland City Handicap at
Laurel.
Dec. 14, 1997: Maybe Jack drew off and won a match race against
Pro on Ice at Suffolk Downs, making him the winningest horse of
1997 with 13 victories.
Dec. 15, 1973: Sandy Hawley became the first jockey in history
to win 500 races in a single year when he rode Charlie Jr. to
victory in the third race at Laurel.
Dec. 15, 2000: Congress passed a package of appropriations bills
that included a clarification to the Interstate Horseracing Act
(IHA). The amendment to IHA confirms that interstate
simulcasting, commingling of pools and account wagering are,
indeed, permitted under the IHA in all states that authorize
these activities.
Dec. 17, 1936: Crooner Bing Crosby announced plans to construct
a new racetrack, to be called the Del Mar Turf Club.
Dec. 17, 1993: Fire destroyed the grandstand of Fair Grounds,
the nation's third-oldest racetrack.
Dec. 18, 1983: Hollywood Park held the first $1 million race for
two-year-old Thoroughbreds, the Hollywood Futurity, which was
won by Fali Time, ridden by Sandy Hawley.
Dec. 20, 1987: D. Wayne Lukas-trained Tejano became the first
juvenile millionaire when he won the Hollywood Futurity with
Laffit Pincay Jr. aboard.
Dec. 22, 1991: Jockey Kent Desormeaux, at age 21, won his
2,000th race aboard Saron Lake, trained by Gary Jones, at
Hollywood Park. He was the youngest jockey to reach that mark
and did so faster than any other rider.
Dec. 22, 2007: Jerry Hollendorfer became just the fourth trainer
ever to win 5,000 races when he sent out Political High to win
the 11th race at Hollywood Park. Hollendorfer joined Dale Baird
(9,445 winners), Jack Van Berg (6,378) and King Leatherbury
(6,227) on the 5,000+ win list.
Dec. 23, 1944: James F. Byrnes, Director of War Mobilization and
Reconversion, urged that all racing in the United States cease
by Jan. 3 as a means of furthering the war effort.
Dec. 23, 2007: Thoroughbred racing's winningest trainer, Dale
Baird, died in an automobile accident in Indiana at age 72. He
had 9,445 career victories.
Dec. 24, 2004: Azeri, North America's all-time leading female
money earner, was retired from racing with a career bankroll of
$4,079,820.
WEEKEND STAKES RACES (unrestricted stakes in N.A. worth $75,000
and up)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13
Hollywood Starlet, 2yo fillies, $429,500, Grade I, 1 1-16M,
Hollywood Park
La Prevoyante Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $150,000, Grade II, 1 1-2M
(T), Calder
W.L. McKnight Handicap, 3&up, $150,000, Grade II, 1 1-2M (T),
Calder
Fred W. Hooper Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, Grade III, 1 1-8M,
Calder
Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, Grade III, 7F, Calder
Queens County Handicap, 3&up, $100,000, Grade III, 1 3-16M,
Aqueduct
Corte Madera Stakes, 2yo fillies, $75,000, 1M, Golden Gate
Fields
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14
Governor's Cup, 3&up, $75,000, 1 1-16M, Remington Park
Ladies Handicap, 3&up (f&m), $75,000, 1 1-4M, Aqueduct
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