FIRST SAMURAI juvenile Not On Herb stayed undefeated and became a stakes winner on Saturday with a victory in the Joseph R. Peluso Memorial Stakes on Saturday.
Coming after another FIRST SAMURAI runner finished third in a stakes at the track the day before, Not On Herb poured the pressure on the early pacesetter almost from the start of the 5 ½ furlong dirt race. The Ron Faucheux trainee made a serious bid for the lead in the turn to take command at the top of the stretch.
He faced resistance from there and finally got away from challengers as they approached the final furlong to win by 1 ½ lengths at the end.
Owned by Ivery Sisters Racing, Not On Herb is one of four winners out of Toast To Ashley, a half-sister to stakes-placed Moka Jumble. They hail from the family of dual Grade 1 winner Pioneerof the Nile, multiple graded stakes winner Powis Castle, and others.
Not On Herb is the six stakes winner of the year for FIRST SAMURAI, who also has 11 stakes performers in 2022. Those six stakes winners tie him with horses such as Twirling Candy, Kantharos, Violence, and BLAME.