Peppers Pride joined Citation, Cigar, Mr Frisky and Hallowed Dreams, in the exclusive roster of Thoroughbreds that have won 16 races in a row, with her victory in the $75,000 Russell and Helen Foutz Distaff Handicap at SunRay Park, Farmington, NM, on April 26.

The 5-year-old New Mexico-bred daughter of Desert God carried high weight of 127 pounds – six to 14 pounds more than her seven rivals – to win the 6 1/2 furlong race by 2 lengths, in a time of 1:17.01. Carlos Madeira, who has piloted Peppers Pride for all of her races, was once again at the controls for trainer Joel Marr and owner and breeder Joe Allen, Abilene, Texas.

Bossy Bush, a 4-year-old with a perfect record of four wins and bet as second favorite to Peppers Pride, finished second, but broke down just past the wire.

Peppers Pride, with 12 stakes victories in 16 wins, has career earnings of $861,665. Although some elitists have tried to diminsh Peppers Pride’s accomplishments because she has run strictly against New Mexico-breds, owner Joe Allen, defended her achievement in an article in the Abilene Reporter News. “As far as this particular record goes, it has nothing to do with where you ran or who you ran against,” he said. “It is simply the longest winning streak. If it was so easy, there’d be hundreds of horses to have already have done it.”

Allen, who owns a popular restaurant and catering business in Abilene, has said he plans to retire Peppers Pride at the end of her 5-year-old season, following at most five more starts.

Got Country Grip broke an all-time Quarter and Paint horse record for consecutive wins from starts with his 15th victory last November, in the G1 Olympia Joe Paint & Appaloosa Handicap at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie. Quarter racing’s Josie’s Bar, Destiny Drummer and Pies Royal Request had previously earned 14 wins in a row but lost in their fifteenth start.