Pepper Crown too hot for Berkeley foes to handle

Pepper Crown was sent off at 15-1 but ran like a favorite to take Sunday's

Grade 3, $100,315

Berkeley

Handicap at Golden Gate Fields by 1 1/4 lengths under jockey Juan Hernandez.

The Alex Paszkeicz-trained four-year-old completed 1 1/16 miles on the Tapeta in

1:44 3/5 to earn his third stakes win of the year.

Pepper Crown bided his time near the rear of the field as Everton and

Marino's Wild Cat battled it out on the front end through fractions of :24 4/5,

:49 3/5 and 1:14 2/5. It was anyone's race in the stretch, but Pepper Crown was

moving best of all after circling the entire field in the six path rounding the

turn. The bay colt made up the ground he lost and rallied to score.

Bred by Paszkeicz and owned by the Alexander A. Paszkeicz Living Trust,

Pepper Crown made just four starts to open his career last year. Now showing 14

starts in 2014, the son of Peppered Cat captured his stakes bow in the Grade 3

San Francisco Mile on April 26, added the Rolling Green Stakes to his line on

September 1 and entered the Berkeley off a third against allowance rivals on

November 13.

Pepper Crown improved his scorecard to 18-8-3-3 and has now earned $303,787.

The California-bred is the first registered foal out of the Crowning Storm mare

Crown This Lady and counts as a full brother stakes-placed Pazmeifucan.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com