True Cinder puts streak on line

With back-to-back stakes scores, True Cinder brings a tworace win streak into Sunday’s $75,000 Vivacious Handicap for Ohio-bred fillies and mares on the Belterra Park turf.

Already established as one of the state’s best and most versatile females, she will face some familiar foes in the Vivacious – but also two new ones in the younger Magna Rose and Takechargedelilah – both of whom have recently come back to their home state after doing well against open company.

True Cinder, owned and trained by Mike Rone, blazed her way to a seven-length triumph in the off-the-turf Buckeye Native Stakes last month at Belterra Park. In her previous start she won the Angenora Stakes at Thistledown by 6 3/4 lengths.

True Cinder, a 4-year-old daughter of Alcindor, has won or placed in 13 stakes, and has won on both dirt and turf, at all three of Ohio’s Thoroughbred tracks, and at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles. Gerardo Corrales, who rode the filly to her two most recent stakes wins, retains the mount Sunday.

Magna Rose broke her maiden by winning the Norm Barron Queen City Oaks for Ohio-bred 3-year-old fillies by 6 3/4 lengths last month in her first start for trainer Brendan Walsh. It was the fifth outing for the filly, who had finished second in four maiden special weight races from April to June at Golden Gate in California. Following those efforts, she was transferred from Blaine Wright to Walsh for owner Ten Broeck Farm.

Takechargedelilah won two of her first three starts, all against open company, while trained by Todd Pletcher, then finished sixth in the Grade 3 Delaware Oaks. She makes her first start in her home state for new trainer Tom Drury Jr.

La Nina Bronca was second to True Cinder in the Angenora, then won a Belterra allowance by 4 3/4 lengths. The consistent School Board Prez, who is approaching a half-million in earnings, comes off a runnerup effort in the J. William Petro Memorial Handicap at Thistledown.

Presque Isle: Peppy in stakes

Peppy scored a breakthrough victory last out when stretching in distance at Presque Isle Downs, where she has made all three starts in her brief career. Peppy steps up into Sunday’s $100,000 Malvern Rose Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred 3-yearold fillies at her home track, and may get an acid test in the form of Dixie Serenade, who will run in her home state this weekend after an upset score in a graded stakes in New York.

Peppy, a daughter of the late Pennsylvania stallion El Padrino, is bred, owned, and trained by Jonathan Sheppard. The filly debuted this spring, and in June was a solid second in her second start to the consistent O’Paddy. Stretched out from six furlongs to a mile – the distance of the Malvern Rose – Peppy won her next outing July 24.

Mario Pino, who has been aboard for all three of Peppy’s starts, will retain the mount Sunday. Peppy, who has sat first or second in her two most recent outings, is ideally drawn inside in post 2.

Dixie Serenade, stakesplaced at Penn National this past spring, ventured out of her home state to win the Grade 3 Victory Ride Stakes on July 8 at Belmont Park. She rallied up the inside for a neck victory that triggered a $97.50 payout.

Trained by Edward Colletti Jr., Dixie Serenade is crossentered in Saturday’s $100,000 Jose L. Flores Memorial Stakes at Parx Racing, an open event for 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs, the distance of the Victory Ride. She has won at up to seven furlongs.

O’Paddy finished first or second in her first seven starts, all at 6 1/2 furlongs or less at Presque Isle, before finishing fifth in a mile allowance here last out. Shamrock Rose was a Grade 3-placed stakes winner last year in Canada, and is multiple stakes placed this year against open company. Bronx Beauty, also cross-entered at Parx on Saturday, has won consecutive statebred stakes at Penn National.