Hot Peppers turned out in California after ankle surgery
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The filly Hot Peppers is convalescing on a farm in Southern California following simple surgery to remove ankle chips, owner Michael Dubb said.
Hot Peppers, a multiple stakes winner, had been scratched by veterinarians out of the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Keeneland in November and the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita in December.
“Because she was scratched in the Breeders’ Cup, they were very sensitive to her there,” Dubb said of the Santa Anita veterinarians. “Phil D’Amato, who was looking after her, told me she looked a little short in some of her strides. We took X-rays and we decided to take some flakes out.”
Dubb said Hot Peppers is at KingFisher Farms in Santa Barbara County in California. Dubb said with the Breeders’ Cup being at Santa Anita this year, his plan is to leave her with D’Amato and try to bring her back to the races this summer.
“If she’s the good Hot Peppers, we’ll go on, if she’s not we’ll figure it out,” Dubb said.
Hot Peppers, a daughter of Khozan, has won 5 of 9 starts, including the Grade 3 Victory Ride and the listed Jersey Girl Stakes when in the care of Rudy Rodriguez. Since the Victory Ride, Hot Peppers finished second in the Grade 1 Test and fourth in the Grade 2 Prioress, her most recent start at Saratoga, on Sept. 2.
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