Power of Snunner goes long again

The Plum Pretty field of seven at Parx on Saturday includes Great Soul and Imply, who have traded Pennsylvaniabred stakes wins since July, and Mama Jones and Power of Snunner, who will stretch back out in distance after finishing second and third in a sixfurlong stakes.

The $100,000 Plum Pretty is a 1 1/16-mile statebred stakes for fillies and mares. While the race is clearly wide open, Power of Snunner has been running better than her past performance lines indicate and may be slightly overlooked in the wagering.

Power of Snunner, 7, missed the last part of 2015 and just about all of last year. Trainer Timothy Krieser legged Power of Snunner up for her comeback at his Penn National base, and then sent her to Joe Sharp at Fair Grounds in December.

“It was winter and there just wasn’t anything up here for her, so we sent her down south,” said Krieser, who will win his fourth consecutive Penn National training title this year.

After making five starts for Sharp, Power of Snunner rejoined Krieser’s stable and promptly won the $100,000 Obeah at Delaware Park. She has since finished fourth in the Northern Fling at Presque Isle, fourth in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park, and third in the Teresa Garofalo Memorial at Parx.

Power of Snunner was well beaten by both Imply and Great Soul over the Tapeta surface at Presque Isle.

“I don’t know if she’s any synthetic star,” Krieser said. “She doesn’t dislike it, but it’s hard to say how much she does like it.”

Back on dirt in the Molly Pitcher, Power of Snunner stumbled at the start and tried hard when beaten five lengths by Money’soncharlotte.

Shortened up in distance for the Garofalo, Power of Snunner had traffic problems entering the far turn, then was moving well late to be beaten a head for second by Mama Jones.

“I told the rider, just keep her out of trouble, not to go shooting up the inside, which is how it turned out,” Krieser said. “I told him just to make a big move outside with her, which is what she wants to do. I thought she ran good.”

Imply, who is based at Penn National with Bernie Houghton, rallied from off the pace to defeat the Tom Proctor-trained Great Soul by 1 3/4 lengths in the Northern Fling. Her late run came up a neck short of Great Soul in the Mrs. Penny, a 1 1/16-mile race that was run over a sloppy track after being taken off the turf.

Mama Jones has good speed and is likely to be on her toes for John Servis after sprinting in the Garofalo. The likely frontrunner, she is more lightly raced than her chief rivals.

Great Soul and Disco Rose also are quick, which should ensure at least a legitimate pace for both Power of Snunner and Imply.