Pepper Mill tries to stretch her speed in Molly P Stakes

PHOENIX – Pepper Mill’s game win in the Jeff and Jack Coady Sr. Stakes on Feb. 1 at Turf Paradise showed she might be the top sprinting female at the track. Monday’s $60,000 Molly P at a mile gives her a chance to show she can be as effective routing.

The Molly P, for fillies and mares 4-year-old and up, drew a field of nine and goes as race 7 on an eight-race card.

Owned by Roys Mansur and trained by Ed Kereluk, Pepper Mill, a 4-year-old daughter of Strong Mandate, won for the third time in her last four starts when she led all the way to capture the Coady. While this is her first try at a mile on dirt, she was a respectable third in the Washington Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 13 at Emerald Downs and a good second going a mile on turf here last April, a few weeks after winning an about 7 1/2-furlong turf race here. There’s reason to believe this trip won’t be a bother.

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Yankee Dollar, a 5-year-old daughter of Horse of the Year California Chrome owned by Crossed Sabres Farm LLC and trained by Marcus Vitali, won this race last year as the even-money favorite. She continued in good form into the fall, but her last three starts at Fair Grounds weren’t too sharp. In her defense, she was facing some tough opposition there.

Tiz a Macho Girl may appreciate moving back to a route after finishing sixth behind Pepper Mill in the Coady, while Kynlie’s Empire gets a stakes shot after two romping wins at this trip on Dec. 11 at Zia Park and here on Feb. 1.

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