Peppers Pride

Still Dreaming · Postby **Still Dreaming** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:29 pm

http://racing.bloodhorse.com/viewstory.asp?id=44851

She made it to sixteen in a row!
What do you think, will she pull off a seventeenth?

Heidilady · Postby **Heidilady** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:09 pm

I feel like they've probably got the hang of how to spot her so it could likely happen. Good horses make their own luck and seems like she can. I'm personally watching that earnings mark and looking for her to make $1 mil which is definitely possible at the rate she's going.

I'm well aware that there are knocks to make but I'm curious as to what folks think she'll shoot for in terms of breeding when it comes time to send her to a stallion. Imagine she breaks that 16 race mark, has over a million in earnings. I haven't seen her in person so not sure about the conformation. I realize she's no blue blood but her sire's got a nice family. Can we at least assume they're not gonna just go for a $2500 stallion? Who'd y'all send her to?

Sam · Postby **Sam** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:00 am

Heidilady wrote:Can we at least assume they're not gonna just go for a $2500 stallion?

It's probably a safe assumption for the first couple of years. The question is whether it's wise.

Even if she makes it to 20 wins in a row and over a million in earnings there's still no reason to get crazy with her. People get mares like this and get stupid with them because they get lost in some unattainable fantasy. She doesn't have anything even approaching a commercial pedigree so you breed to race and pick proven, sane stallions.

That makes her slightly difficult to breed as I really don't see the point in spending more than $7,500 (and even that's too high, personally) on her or really even getting her too far out of NM. There's absolutely nothing remarkable about this mare's family. She's an aberration (and an extremely well-managed one at that) so until she steps up to open company outside of NM, I really wouldn't consider her as anything but a nice little $5k-$7,500 mare and look for a stallion somewhere in the southwest.

My first choice would probably be Gold Case (only choice, really). It's 4x4 Prospector, but through Fappiano and Forty Niner -- a cross I think is going to be more and more productive as the years progress. The temptation to try and RF her is there... but the only two stallions worth making the attempt with would be Lit De Justice and Deputy Commander. I'm rather indifferent to the first and I think the second has been pensioned -- nevermind they are both in CA.

Early Flyer would be interesting... but he may not be in Texas next year

Precocity is the only other one I can come up with and I'm rather lukewarm on him but he does have decent enough numbers for a regional sire. There's a couple of Hennessys in NM -- but I want to see more from them first and of the two, Golden Ransom is the one I like more from a pedigree standpoint.

Strategic Maneuver · Postby **Strategic Maneuver** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:34 am

I may throw myself in front of the van at Valor if EF leaves.

mlwinter · Postby **mlwinter** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:15 am

Life is not always about commercial pedigrees and commercial breeding. Some of us still breed to race.

This is a special horse, admit it.

Lisann · Postby **Lisann** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:29 am

If I had a mare with this many wins and almost $1M in earnings, I be looking at better than $7500 stallions for her. I'd say she warrants $20k-$30k. She's earned a lot on the track, proven her soundness and heart. Why not?

ageecee · Postby **ageecee** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:28 am

You might get 100K for her foal if you breed to a nice 20K stud

Sam · Postby **Sam** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:37 am

mlwinter wrote:Life is not always about commercial pedigrees and commercial breeding. Some of us still breed to race.

Which is exactly what I'm advocating -- breed to race. SENSIBLY. Sending her to a $30k stallion isn't sensible. Not right now.

Lisann wrote:If I had a mare with this many wins and almost $1M in earnings, I be looking at better than $7500 stallions for her. I'd say she warrants $20k-$30k. She's earned a lot on the track, proven her soundness and heart. Why not?

Do you know how many really good racemares with infinitely better families than this one have been absolutely dreadful as broodmares?

Racing ability doesn't translate to proven breeder.

There's no reason to get stupid and set unreasonable goals with this mare... yet The only way you get a $100k sales foal out of her is if its one hell of a looker. Her page, regardless of her own ability, is shit. I think I saw two black-type horses, including PP, in her first 3 dams. The rest were regional bottom feeders.

Don't set her up for failure by breeding her to top dollar stallions just because she's won 16 (or even 20) races in 4 years. IMO, no, she doesn't warrant a $20k stallion and she sure as hell doesn't warrant a $30k one. There's virtually no commercial appeal to her pedigree and while the 16 wins are impressive -- she's not exactly doing it on the A-circuit.

She's still a breed to race mare, regardless of her current record. Actually, it's her current record that MAKES her a breed to race mare. If she'd lost a few of those races, she's not even worth a $2,500 stud fee with that pedigree.

spex4me · Postby **spex4me** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:00 pm

She has peaked my interest. I really wish they'd get her into at least one decent open company race. Even if she came in third, if she ran well that would be an indicator that she could at least survive in the ranks. If she beats a smidge better competition, I would expect her to go to a bit pricier stallion.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:03 pm

It is a very nice effort by Pepper's Pride.. however being housebound with a broken leg, I watched the race. Of the horses she beat, two looked like they had just been yanked out of the field, a brush run over and then saddled. One was so lame on the backend - that might have been the one I thought I saw go down and toss its jock in just a brief moment of one of the camera angles - she should have been a scratch. This is not to say this mare does not have heart and is quite the queen of the NM breds now. But she has been managed and spotted and has not run outside her region.

The suggestion of Gold Case is good.. also Scatmandu who is in NM would be an intriguing cross. But I think perhaps her connections will run her a few more times...

ageecee · Postby **ageecee** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:31 pm

So you dont want to give her the chance to be a nice broodmare? Just breed her to $500 studs and you will never know what kind of broodmare she can be. Just plain stupid.

Shes worth a 20K stud fee all day long and twice on Sundays.

zinn21 · Postby **zinn21** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:33 pm

Finally watched her run for the first time yesterday. Don't know what she ran against but was very impressed with her effort. She got hit pretty hard and floated out on the on the 5/8's mile clubhouse turn. The trouble encountered would have finished many horses of less ability but she just toughened; made a run down the backside; collared the leader with another filly locked on to her right flank and outfinished that one to the wire.

With above stated, I can see why she's won sixteen straight.

It is true that racing ability does not necessarily make a superior broodmare but it would sure be fun trying to pass on the "Try" attribute this mare posesses..

ageecee · Postby **ageecee** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:13 pm

Why not try and pass on her racing ability by breeding to some nice studs? How else are you going to find out?

halfbridled · Postby **halfbridled** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:17 pm

2nd place Bossy Bush broke her leg before the wire and was euthanized..jock came out of it with a broken collarbone.
Just wanted to update because the news articles were not mentioning this.
She was unbeaten before this race.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sun Apr 27, 2008 5:23 pm

THAT must be who I saw that went down and tossed the jock. Somehow they managed to keep it out of the replays.