Peery trying to spring two upsets

The logic trainer Debbie Peery used to explain her decision to enter Girl At Home in Sunday’s third race at Emerald Downs was, “If you don’t try, you don’t know.” The same criteria could be applied to Peso, one of two 7-year-old geldings Peery has entered in race 8.

Race 8 is a $15,000 claiming race at 6 1/2 furlongs. Peso, by Pioneerof the Nile, is a steady horse with tactical speed who regularly posts Beyer Speed Figures in the 60s. Six times in 22 starts, that’s been good enough to reach the winner’s circle. On Sunday, that shouldn’t be good enough against six seemingly classier rivals – but if you don’t try, you don’t know.

“His owners, Carl and Debbi [Seymour], they just want to see how he did if we jumped him up a little bit,” admitted Peery. “I’m hoping there will be enough pace. I know he’ll try. We just want to see where he’s competitive at. He’s a really, really consistent horse. He tries hard every time.”

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The speed of the race will be Goin’ South and Tougherthantherest. For Peso to win, he’ll need those two to burn each other out on the front end, although even then, he’ll need to overcome a pair of closers in My Vino and St. Elmo, the latter of whom will make his Emerald debut for trainer Mike Puhich after last racing at Prairie Meadows in August 2025.

Then there’s Peso’s stablemate, Smiling Goodbye, a perennial bridesmaid who is more of a router but notched a 77 Beyer finishing second in a six-furlong sprint on July 18. That came after he finished last of seven off a layoff of more than 10 months in a July 3 sprint.

“I do plan to route him,” said Peery. “I just wanted to give him a couple outs. The first out was the worst race he’s ever ran in the time I’ve had him, and I’ve had him since he was 3. He didn’t really get a lot out of that. I dropped him and sprinted him back. I think he likes to route.”

Race 3 is a $24,000 allowance at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares who have never won two races or Washington-breds who have never won three. Girl At Home, like Peso, looks overmatched against the likes of Knaughty Knight, Pearl Blue, and Samarolu. But Girl At Home is only 3 and coming off a 5 1/2-length maiden win under the talented jockey Kevin Krigger.

“Kevin, when he got off her last time, he said he thinks she’ll route – maybe the [Aug. 16 Washington] Oaks, depending on who’s in it,” said Peery. “Before we jump in those waters, we figured we’d better try her in an allowance. This is a pretty darn competitive five-horse field.

“We didn’t just want to throw her into a stake. Let’s just see how she does.”

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