Presque Isle Mile, Masters Draw Full Competitive Fields

The two richest events of the Presque Isle Downs meeting are on tap, with Friday’s $250,000 Presque Isle Mile a warm up for the meet’s marquee event on Saturday, the $400,000 Presque Isle Masters (G3).

Both of the 2009 winners of the races are back, but both will find their hands full.

The 2009 Presque Isle Mile winner Cherokee Artist is the 5/1 third choice on the morning line, and comes into the race having won just one of seven starts since winning the race last year.

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The Graham Motion trainee is coming off a sixth place finish in the Oceanport (G3) over the turf at Monmouth Park in his most recent outing.

Informed Decision is back to defend her title in the Presque Isle Masters. The mare used the race as a springboard to winning the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and the Eclipse Award for outstanding female sprinter last year.

A win or runner up finish in the race would push her career earnings over the $2 million mark.

The champion mare will need to have her running shoes on to defeat a solid group of runners that include Dr. Zic, who won the Madison (G1) at Keeneland this spring as well as Peristaltica, a Group 1 winner in her native Argentina.

Sweet Lorena, who was second in the Masters last year at 17/1, will be looking to turn the tables on the likely favorite and win her first stake.

Others that may garner some attention at the betting windows include Rollicking Affair and Red Hot Buddha, both stakes winners over the Tapeta surface, and Dubai Majesty, a Grade 3 winner at Churchill Downs.

Before we place our wagers on the Masters, we need to “master” Friday night’s Presque Isle Downs, an outstanding betting race.

First post at Presque Isle Downs on Friday and Saturday is 5:30 ET.

Presque Isle Downs Race 7 The Presque Isle Mile Post time 8:00 ET
Successful Dan   8/1
Gayego   4/1
Mambo Meister   7/2
Allie’s Event   8/1

Successful Dan has the least amount of experience in this full field of a dozen runners, but may have more upside than any of these as well. The gelding started his career by winning his first three starts including the Northern Dancer (G3) at Churchill Downs, and then was put on the shelf for 14 months. The gelding returned off the long layoff at Arlington Park on Aug. 6, racing wide much of the trip in a fifth place finish against third level optional claimers going six furlongs. There is no doubt he needed the race and figures to move forward off that effort. The stretch out to a mile should suit and he gets a jock upgrade to Leparoux, who was aboard the gelding for his last two wins. The gelding looks like good value if we see most of the 8/1 morning

Gayego is the leading money earner in the field, amassing $1.5 million, which includes a victory in the Ancient Title (G1) over the synthetic surface at Santa Anita last fall. He followed that up with a fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) where he was beaten a couple of noses and a head in a fourth place finish after breaking a step slow. The five-year-old is coming off a fourth place finish to the recently retired Majestperfection in the A.G. Vanderbilt (G1) at Saratoga over conventional dirt. He has done some of his best running over the fake stuff (11-4-3-1), and he has experience over the Tapeta surface in Dubai. His lofty reputation may make his 4/1 morning line look more like 5/2 by the time they load him in the gate.

Mambo Meister had a rough trip in the Vanderbilt at Saratoga last out. The gelding was bumped around coming out of the gate, was carried inward in the stretch and then tired while drifting outward inside the final furlong. He is better than he showed last out, possibly regressing off back-to-back triple digit Beyer Speed Figures in his two previous starts. The gelding is inexperienced over synthetic surfaces, with his lone try a fifth place finish in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita where he was beaten by two lengths. He should give a better account of himself here and if he takes to the new surface, he should be a player in here.

Allie’s Event came off a four-month break with a sharp score against second level allowance foes at Presque Isle and has now won three of four starts over synthetics. His lone try in stakes company came on turf where he finished in the runner up spot against Florida breds in the Turf Classic at Tampa Bay Downs back in April. The gelding always seems to fire, landing in the exacta in nine of 11 starts. He steps into a tougher spot here, but he is proven over the surface and should be a decent price.

Wagering
WIN: #8 to win at 9/2 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,4,6,12
TRI: 2,4 / 2,4,6,12 / 2,4,6,8,11,12