A field of 12 fillies and mares has been entered to go 6 1/2 furlongs over
the Tapeta in Monday’s Grade 2, $400,000
Presque Isle Downs Masters. The contest was captured the past two years by
Groupie Doll, and while the 2014 edition won’t feature that dual champion female
sprinter it still includes some Eclipse hopefuls.
Ageless will be putting her current three-race win streak on the line while
trying an all-weather track for the first time. The Successful Appeal mare has
been made the 5-2 morning-line favorite following a trio of stakes victories,
including the Royal North at
Woodbine on July 27. The Arnaud Delacour trainee has actually captured five
of her last six, with the interruption coming via a third in the Lightning City
at Tampa Bay Downs in
her season opener.
Julien Leparoux was aboard when Ageless took the Giant’s Causeway at
Keeneland over the
spring and takes back the mount in this spot.
My Option is but one in Monday’s competitive field who could give Ageless a
run for her money. The gray four-year-old looks to rebound here following a
subpar effort in the Ontario Matron last out. The Chris Block-trained daughter
of Belong to Me romped in the Chicago Handicap by 6 1/2 lengths on June 28 and
also boasts a victory in the Arlington Oaks from last year as well as placings
in the Raven Run and Pucker Up.
My Option will open at 9-2 and break from the rail in the Masters.
Madame Cactus will be making just her second start of the year on Monday
after finishing second in her seasonal bow at Del Mar. That came in the August
17 Rancho Bernardo Handicap for Peter Eurton, who sent her out for a neck score
in the Raven Run at Keeneland last fall. Madame Cactus, the 7-2 third pick on
the morning-line, will keep jockey Joe Talamo in the irons.
Disco Barbie ran third behind My Option in the Chicago Handicap, but
sandwiched that start between dominating wins at Presque Isle Downs against
optional claiming company. The Pure Prize filly took her first spin around the
Tapeta on June 9, posting an 8 1/4-length score while going 6 1/2 furlongs. She
stretched out to seven-eighths for her next go around on June 28 and was a
seven-length victress that day.
Following the Chicago ‘Cap, the Dale Capuano pupil got back to her winning
ways with a 5 1/2-length triumph most recently on August 18 against allowance
foes. Antonio Gallardo held Disco Barbie’s reins on each of those occasions and
stays in the saddle.
Only four others bring prior track experience into the Masters — Master the
Blues, Cactus Kris, Significant Bling and Capella Dancer.
Trainer Bob Hess Jr. saddled Master the Blues to a stakes debut neck win in
the Daisycutter Handicap at Del
Mar most recently, but the Master Command mare previously was based most of
the time at Presque Isle when conditioned by Kathleen O’Connell. She was
transferred to Hess over the summer and made just her second start for her new
barn in the Daisycutter. The five-year-old chestnut owns a 3-2-1 mark from 10
starts at Presque Isle and gets Kent Desormeaux in the irons on Monday.
Cactus Kris boasts a 7-3-3-1 Presque Isle line, including a close second in
the Inaugural Stakes in her three-year-old opener on May 11. The Ryan Walsh
charge exits a nose second in the Duchess and fourth-placing in the Ontario
Colleen in her past pair at Woodbine. Significant Bling’s only unplaced effort
in four races at Presque Isle came as a fourth in the Inaugural, but the
four-time stakes-scoring filly has since won, finished second and third in her
remaining endeavors. Capella Dancer was third behind Disco Barbie and
Significant Bling last out in a course and distance allowance, her best finish
to date in three tries over the track.
Irish-bred all-weather expert Living the Life closed out her overseas
campaign in April with a 3 1/2-length win at
Lingfield,
then took an optional claimer at Del Mar on August 7. She’ll try to make it
three in a row on Monday. Grade 3-placed stakes heroine Sushi Empire will be
making her first start for new trainer Tevis McCauley in the Masters off a fifth
in the San Clemente Handicap and sixth-placing in the Senorita.
Canadian champion female sprinter Youcan’tcatchme and Northern Passion faced
off in the Seaway at Woodbine last out, with the former finishing sixth and the
latter coming in fourth. Youcan’tcatchme is seeking her first win of the year in
the Masters while Northern Passion is looking for a return to the winner’s
circle after taking the Sweet Briar Too on July 1.
The first 500 fans through the gate at
Presque Isle
Downs on Monday will receive a free T-shirt.
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