Peppy steps up to stakes company

Peppy scored a breakthrough victory last out when stretching in distance at Presque Isle Downs, where she has made all three starts in her brief career. Peppy steps up into Sunday’s $100,000 Malvern Rose Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-old fillies at her home track, and may get an acid test in the form of Dixie Serenade, who will run in her home state this weekend after an upset score in a graded stakes in New York.

Peppy, a daughter of the late Pennsylvania stallion El Padrino, is bred, owned, and trained by Jonathan Sheppard. The filly debuted this spring, and in June was a solid second in her second start to the consistent O’Paddy. Stretched out from six furlongs to a mile – the distance of the Malvern Rose – Peppy won her next outing July 24.

Mario Pino, who has been aboard for all three of Peppy’s starts, will retain the mount Sunday. Peppy, who has sat first or second in her two most recent outings, is ideally drawn inside in post 2.

Dixie Serenade, stakes-placed at Penn National this past spring, ventured out of her home state to win the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes on July 8 at Belmont Park. She rallied up the inside for a neck victory that triggered a $97.50 payout.

Trained by Edward Colletti Jr., Dixie Serenade is cross-entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Jose L. Flores Memorial Stakes at Parx Racing, an open event for 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs, the distance of the Victory Ride. She has won at up to seven furlongs.

O’Paddy finished first or second in her first seven starts, all at 6 1/2 furlongs or less at Presque Isle, before finishing fifth in a mile allowance here last out. Shamrock Rose was a Grade 3-placed stakes winner last year in Canada, and is multiple stakes placed this year against open company. Bronx Beauty, also cross-entered at Parx on Saturday, has won consecutive statebred stakes at Penn National.