Undefeated Peppers Pride will go for her record-tying 16th consecutive victory when she takes on eight fellow New Mexico-bred fillies and mares April 26 in the $75,000 Russell & Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap at SunRay Park and Casino in Farmington, NM.
The 5-year-old mare will shoulder high weight of 127 pounds as she attempts to join Citation, Cigar, Mister Frisky and Hallowed Dreams in an exclusive circle of Thoroughbreds that have won 16 races in a row. Peppers Pride will spot her rivals between six and 14 pounds in the 6 1/2-furlong event. The race is contested around two turns.
Carlos Madeira, who has piloted the daughter of Desert God in each of her races, will be at the controls once again for trainer Joel Marr and owner and breeder Joe Allen. Peppers Pride drew post 7.
Peppers Pride, whose victories have all come against New Mexico breds at distances of between 5 1/2 furlongs and one mile, last raced March 23, winning the $100,000 Sydney Valentini Handicap over one mile at Sunland Park. That was her only start in 2008.
She is scheduled to travel the 400-mile journey from Sunland to SunRay by van on April 24.
With 11 stakes triumphs, Peppers Pride has career earnings of $816,665.
Peppers Pride has been favored in 10 of her starts and odds-on in eight of those. She should be a heavy choice once more at SunRay, where she has raced just once in her career. She won the New Mexico Distaff Handicap last May by a neck.
Her most difficult foe in the Foutz Distaff figures to be undefeated Bossy Bush, who was assigned 121 pounds.
The 4-year-old filly has won three times in 2008 and is 4-for-4 in her career for trainer Michael Barber. Bossy Bush, a daughter of Parenthesis owned by her breeder, Richard H. Hall Jr., is making her stakes debut. Jorge M. Bourdieu will be aboard for the first time.
$75,000 Russell and Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap (Race 9, 5:27 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 6 1/2 Furlongs
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Miss Possibility (NM), 116, Brian J. Theriot
2. Charlie's Pizzazz (NM), 113, Victor Escobar
3. Rylie Cheyenne (NM), 114, David Wilder Essman
4. Let the Musicbegin (NM), 118, Ricardo Jaime
5. Pache Slew (NM), 118, Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr.
6. Bossy Bush (NM), 121, Jorge M. Bourdieu
7. Peppers Pride (NM), 127, Carlos D. Madeira
8. Complete Pride (NM), 116, Quyet E. Bui
9. Busy Little Pistol (NM), 115, Travis Wales
Undefeated Peppers Pride will go for her record-tying 16th consecutive victory in the Russell & Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap.
