Weekend Stakes Preview: Presque Isle Downs Gets Some Action

Presque Isle Downs features the jewels of their meet this Friday and Saturday with the Presque Isle Mile (post time: Friday, 9:05 Eastern) and G2-Presque Isle Downs Masters (post time: Saturday, 6:35 Eastern). The Mile features a field of eleven (2-Dazzled Saint has scratched), led by 3-Noble's Promise (3/1) and 10-Wise Dan (7/2). Noble's Promise has struggled since winning the G3-Aristides in early June (3rd in G2-Smile; 5th in G1-Vanderbilt).  Wise Dan has been away since winning the G2-Firecracker at Churchill Downs at one mile on the grass.

The PID Masters (post time 6:35 Eastern) drew a field of twelve (and two AEs) led by 3/1 morning line favorite 5-Beat the Blues.  A four-year-old daughter of Great Pyramid (IRE) out of a Pentelicus mare (Imtheblues), Beat the Blues won the ungraded Saylorville at Prairie Meadows before finishing 2nd  to Tar Heel Mom (beaten 5 3/4 lengths) in the G2-Honorable Miss at Saratoga. Beat the Blue is 1-for-1 lifetime on synthetic surfaces, winning an OC/N$Y race at Keeneland this past April.

There are a couple of horses with experience at PID that deserve an additional look in the Masters. 12-Sweet Lorena (10/1) sports a good 15-6-7-2 record over the surface and a solid 5-3-1-1 at the trip.  She was 3rd by a neck to Informed Decision and Dubai Majesty in this race last year, so she's shown she can turn in a big effort against solid competition at this track.

Just inside of Sweet Lorena is 11-Ariana D (10/1), a Woodbine shipper with prior experience over the PID surface.  This Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Rock Slide is cutting back in distance after back-to-back tries at 8 1/2 furlongs, something that should provide her with some stamina in the final furlongs.  However, there isn't a ton of speed in this field, which will likely make it difficult for horse to catch her rivals.

Ariana D is 12-4-2-3 at PID and 3-2-1-0 at the 6 1/2 furlong distance.

Both the Presque Isle Mile and the PID Masters will take place over the track's Tapeta surface.