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Weekend Stakes Preview: Presque Isle Downs Gets Some Action

Noble's Promise is the 3/1 morning line favorite for Friday's Presque Isle Mile at Presque Isle Downs.
Noble's Promise is the 3/1 morning line favorite for Friday's Presque Isle Mile at Presque Isle Downs.

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.

Day Race Track Dist/Surf Age/Sex
9-Sep Presque Isle Mile PID 8.0 (S) 3up
10-Sep G2-Bowling Green BEL 11.0 (T) 3up
10-Sep G2-PID Masters PID 6.5 (S) 3up, f&m
10-Sep G2-Super Derby LAD 9.0 3yo
10-Sep G3-ArlWash Futurity AP 8.0 (S)
2yo
10-Sep G3-ArlWash Lassie AP 8.0 (S)
2yo, f
11-Sep G3-BC Derby HST 9.0 3yo
10-Sep G3-KY Cup Turf KD 12.0 (T) 3up
10-Sep BC Oaks HST 9.0 3yo, f
10-Sep Happy Ticket LAD 8.0 (T) 2yo, f
10-Sep Sunday Silence LAD 8.0 (T) 2yo
11-Sep Swynford WO 7.0 (S)
2yo