Peppers Pride colt enters stakes as maiden

Dad, a son of undefeated New Mexico-bred millionaire Peppers Pride, will attempt to win his maiden in the Sunland Park Festival of Racing Stakes on Sunday.

The 3-year-old Malibu Moon colt is trained by Joel Marr, who also conditioned his dam. He is winless in three starts, with his best finish being a fourth in the Mine That Bird overnight stakes last month at Sunland.

Dad is one of two starters out of Peppers Pride. Her son Punctuate, by Distorted Humor, won his only start in 2014. The mare, boarded at Taylor Made Farm in Kentucky, is booked to American Pharoah in the Triple Crown winner’s first season at stud.

 Five-time Grade 1 winner Close Hatches, the Eclipse Award champion older female of 2014, was bred to classic sire Malibu Moon last week at Spendthrift Farm.

Juddmonte’s homebred daughter of First Defence delivered her first foal, a colt by Tapit, on Feb. 21.