Power of Snunner heads Trace of Grace in Plum Pretty

In upper stretch of the $100,000 Plum Pretty Stakes at Parx on Saturday, it looked as if Power of Snunner was going to roll right by Trace of Grace. In the final sixteenth, it looked as though she wasn't going to get there at all. But in the end, 7-year-old Power of Snunner did just enough to come away with a head victory.

The win was the third in a stakes for Power of Snunner and her ninth from 33 starts for her owner and breeder James Courtney. A Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Power By Far, she has now earned $562,310.

Disco Rose set the early pace on a short lead inside Trace of Grace while being stalked by a three-wide Mama Jones in the Plum Pretty, a 1 1/16-mile race for statebred fillies and mares. As is her style, Power of Snunner lagged back in the five-horse field while unhurried by jockey Dana Whitney.

Power of Snunner lengthened her stride and began her run nearing the far turn, just about the same point at which Trace of Grace disposed of the other front-runners. Trace of Grace held a sizable lead into the stretch, but Power of Snunner steadily cut into her margin.

Trace of Grace drifted far out in the track to be next to Power of Snunner, and the pair fought to the wire with Power of Snunner narrowly coming out on top.

Power of Snunner paid $4.60 as the favorite and was timed in 1:47.68. She is trained by Timothy Kreiser, who long ago wrapped up his fourth consecutive Penn National training title. With 107 wins at the meet coming into the Saturday night card, Kreiser has more than double the number of victories of his nearest rival.

Trace of Grace, who is trained by Bernie Houghton, completed a $16.60 Penn National-based exacta. Houghton is third in the standings at the Grantville, Pa., track.

It was 14 lengths back from Trace of Grace to Mama Jones in third.

The disappointment of the race was 2-1 second choice Great Soul, who raced inside Power of Snunner early but was finished before reaching the far turn and tired to finish last.