Paris Peacock ready to show true colors in Monroe Stakes

Paris Peacock took a step forward when she finished second in a second-level allowance race with a $32,000 claiming option March 17 at Tampa Bay Downs and could be coming around to the form that saw her beat 15 3-year-old fillies in a Group 3 stakes in Ireland in September. If she is, she could be a handful in the $75,000 Monroe on Sunday at Gulfstream Park.

The 1 1/16-mile race on turf for fillies and mares drew seven horses and goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that gets under way at 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

Following her victory at the Irish track of Gowran Park, she was shipped to North America where she was thrown to the wolves in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Oct. 15 at Keeneland. She set the pace and faded to finish sixth in the 1 1/8-mile race on grass.

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Paris Peacock made her second U.S. start and first for trainer Tom Proctor in a conditioned allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option on Jan 26 at Gulfstream. Paris Peacock was trapped on the rail while chasing an honest pace in the one-mile race on turf and finished last of 10. It was a tough field as the winner, White Frost, came back to lose by a neck in the Grade 3 Honey Fox and then finished third in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.

With the improved effort at Tampa Bay, she could be sitting on a peak performance in the third start of her form cycle Sunday.

Paris Peacock will break from the inside post with Edwin Gonzalez up.

The Christophe Clement-trained uncoupled entry of Parnac and By All Means look like the main threats.

Parnac began her career with back-to-back wins in Germany before coming to the United States and Clement in 2022. She won a first-level allowance race over firm turf at Aqueduct last October in her fourth start in this country. She has not raced since running seventh in the $135,000 Winter Memories over a yielding course in November at Aqueduct.

Parnac does her best running late, and there appears to be ample speed to set her up. She will break from post 4 with Luca Panici up.

By All Means will be making her first start in North America after finishing fifth in the Group 1 Sun Chariot at Newmarket in October. In her previous race, she finished second by a neck going a mile on turf in the Group 3 Prix de Lieurey in France at Deauville.

By All Means compiled a 3-1-0 record from six starts in Europe. She won her debut, so she can fire fresh.

Leonel Reyes will be aboard when she breaks from the outside post.

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