by Jeff Lowe

Peppers Pride will get one more chance to extend her undefeated record before she is retired for the 2009 breeding season, owner-breeder Joseph Allen said on Monday.

The New Mexico-bred mare secured her record 18th straight victory on Sunday in the New Mexico Cup Fillies and Mares Stakes at Zia Park. Allen is looking at the $125,000 New Mexico State Racing Commission Handicap on December 14 at Sunland Park as a final target for the five-year-old by Desert God.

“We’re probably going to run her on the 14th, and then our thinking is that we’ll retire her and breed her,” Allen said. “It was a great day yesterday. She’s had an unbelievable run.”

Allen, who owns Desert God with his brother, Ron, has not decided on mating plans for Peppers Pride. An out-of-state stallion is a good possibility, he said.

“We’re just looking to see what we can do at this point,” Allen said. “Our intention right now would be to send her out of state. If we didn’t go to Kentucky, we might possibly send her someplace else, but there also is a possibility we would breed her there in New Mexico.”

Peppers Pride established the modern North American record for consecutive wins on October 4 when she scored in an optional/claiming race at Zia Park to improve to 17 wins in as many starts. She eclipsed the previous record shared by Citation, Cigar, Mister Frisky, and Hallowed Dreams.

The dark bay or brown mare is a little less than $9,000 shy of the $1-million plateau with $991,085 in career earnings. 

Jeff Lowe is a Thoroughbred Times staff writer