Peppi Knows back in New York for Cosmic Bob Stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Peppi Knows, who shipped in to upset the Whirlaway Stakes here last winter for Penn National-based trainer Tim Kreiser, returns to the scene of his most lucrative payday in Wednesday’s $60,000 Cosmic Bob overnight stakes at a mile and 70 yards.

Peppi Knows was second in last year’s Remsen at better than 20-1, before posting a mild upset in the Whirlaway, a race in which heavily favored Eightyfiveinafifty bolted and lost his rider in the early stages.

A month later, Peppi Knows suffered an ankle chip running sixth in the Gotham, and he was sidelined until mid-summer.

After chasing Awesome Son in his six-furlong return and then dueling for the lead in the Smarty Jones Stakes on Labor Day, Peppi Knows went to Charles Town and wired a two-turn allowance sprint with a new top Beyer Speed Figure of 94.

“We’re ready,” Kreiser said. “That was a pretty good race against older horses, and it turned into a cakewalk.”

Peppi Knows breezed a mile at Penn National last Friday. “I was pointing him to a stake at [Parx Racing] on December 31 and wasn’t sure if this race was going to go,” Kreiser explained. “But that race [the Auld Lang Syne Stakes] is for three and up, and this is straight 3-year-olds.”

Peppi Knows drew the rail for his return to New York and meets, in post order: Teaks North, third in the recent Discovery Handicap for Justin Sallusto; Monsignor and No Shenanigans, who are uncoupled for trainer Todd Pletcher; and Goombada Guska, a New Jersey-bred stakes winner at Monmouth for Scott Volk.

Monsignor has won two of three starts since being stretched out to two turns, with a fifth-place finish in the Oklahoma Derby sandwiched between allowance victories at Monmouth Park and Churchill Downs.

“The wins at Monmouth and Churchill were good, solid races,” Pletcher said. “He was maybe too keen when we ran him at Remington.”

No Shenanigans earned a 95 Beyer for an allowance win at Monmouth in mid June and returned from a layoff to run an even fourth on the main track here last month.

“He ran well, he got a little bit tired the past part,” Pletcher said. “I expect him to improve.”

The versatile Teaks North won stakes on turf and dirt at Monmouth and had some trouble when third in the Discovery.