Hot Peppers has first graded stakes triumph in Victory Ride

Hot Peppers withstood an early three-horse speed duel before ultimately holding off a final bid by Half Is Enough to register a well-deserved three-quarter-length victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Victory Ride Stakes at Belmont Park.

The Grade 3 Victory Ride lost one of its key players just hours before the race when the Lone Star-based Smash Ticket was ordered scratched by the stewards for what her trainer, Todd Filcher, described as a “paperwork issue” regarding workman’s compensation.

Hot Peppers, who led throughout to capture the Jersey Girl Stakes by 6 3/4 lengths in her previous start, contested the early pace of the 6 1/2-furlong Victory Ride three wide outside the 7-5 favorite Pretty Birdie and Happy Soul. The trio posted 22.10 and 45.52 splits for the opening half, with Pretty Birdie the first to throw in the towel midway on the turn.

Hot Peppers and Happy Soul continued their duel into the stretch with Half Is Enough looming boldly near the middle of the track after sitting in the garden spot just off the embattled leaders in the run down the backstretch. Hot Peppers, under jockey Luis Saez, gained the advantage from Happy Soul upon settling into the stretch, then gamely turned back Half Is Enough to become a graded stakes winner for the first time in her seventh career start.

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Half Is Enough, a mid-Atlantic invader who entered the Victory Ride unbeaten in three starts, was easily second-best finishing 2 1/2 lengths clear of Stirling Silver, who trailed much of the way. The tiring Happy Soul finished fourth, with Pretty Birdie eased to the wire far back.

Hot Peppers, a 3-year-old Khozan filly, is trained by Rudy Rodriguez for the partnership of Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:17.73 and paid $10.60.

“She’s been very special,” Rodriguez said. “She shows a lot of class and that’s what you want to see in these kind of races. I was kind of worried about the distance a little, but she hung in there and prevailed. Hopefully we’ll look forward to the Test (at Saratoga on August 6)."

Fincher was noticeably distressed when contacted just before the race regarding the late scratch of his promising filly, explaining that New York would not accept his out-of-state workman’s compensation policy and that attempts to secure a New York policy on Friday and Saturday proved futile.

“At many tracks you can get workman’s compensation right through the racing commission, but not in New York,” Fincher explained. "It’s been hell for us since yesterday morning and obviously very disappointing.”