Hot Peppers Looks to Rebound in Jersey Girl Stakes

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Hot Peppers  will make her first start for trainer Rudy Rodriguez in the June 12 $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes for sophomore fillies sprinting six furlongs at Belmont Park.

A bay daughter of Khozan  , Hot Peppers arrives at the Jersey Girl from a distant seventh-place finish in her stakes debut in the March 27 Stonehedge Farm South Sophomore Fillies Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. She was an impressive maiden winner at second asking facing fellow Florida-breds in January at Gulfstream Park, leading at every point of call to win by 14 1/4 lengths for former trainer Ronald Spatz.

Hot Peppers went on to win her next two outings at Gulfstream, collecting a 5 1/2-furlong state-bred allowance and a six-furlong optional claimer by a head against open company. She followed with her distant effort in the Sophomore Fillies ahead of a three-month layoff.

"She's been here close to five weeks and this is a good race for her to start," Rodriguez said. "We'll see what we've got. She seems pretty good. We got her from the farm and she's been straightforward. She doesn't miss a day and it's all good."

Rodriguez said he is hopeful that cutting Hot Peppers back to six furlongs will help bring her back to form.

"I think that's probably what she wants to do," said Rodriguez. "She seems like she's done everything right, so we just have to hope that she can compete at this level."

The filly will break from post 4 with Luis Saez in the irons.

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gimmick  earned a graded stakes-placing last out for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen with an even third-place finish in the May 20 Miss Preakness Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. The Into Mischief   bay stalked closely in second under Tyler Gaffalione but tired and held show honors by one length over Verylittlecents .

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call from the inside post.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Stand Up Comic  makes her seasonal debut for trainer Butch Reid Jr. and looks to double up on stakes victories after she capped off her juvenile campaign with a win in the Parx Futurity in December at Parx Racing.

The chestnut daughter of Practical Joke   was a four-length winner under Frankie Pennington in the Parx Futurity, improving from a disappointing 10th-place finish in the Stewart Manor Stakes over the Belmont turf in her start prior. Stand Up Comic won her first two starts before making her stakes debut with a fourth-place effort in the Bolton Landing Stakes in August at Saratoga Race Course. She is undefeated in her three starts on dirt.

Pennington retains the mount from post 5.

Entries: Jersey Girl S.

Belmont Park, Sunday, June 12, 2022, Race 3

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 2:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Gimmick (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	118	Steven M. Asmussen	7/5
2	2Diamond Collector (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Carlos F. Martin	6/1
3	3Sweet Solare (KY)	Kendrick Carmouche	118	Horacio De Paz	6/1
4	4Hot Peppers (FL)	Luis Saez	118	Rudy R. Rodriguez	6/5
5	5Stand Up Comic (KY)	Frankie Pennington	120	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	8/1