Presque Isle Downs Selections and Analysis for Sept. 20

Dick Powell offers his picks and analysis for the Tuesday racing card at Presque Isle Downs.

Race One:

1st: #6 EXTRA MEDIUM – changed barns to Mike Rogers two starts back and missed by a head in a wide rally. He came back as the even-money favorite and ran about the same race and now faces them again. Rogers wins 16% with his overall claimers.

2nd: #3 CAPTAIN MAD JACK – horse for the course raced evenly against better two starts back then ran against state-breds last out. He drops down to the bottom for Shelly Radosevich who wins 18% with her overall claiming starters.

3rd: #2 MORETHANSOULTITLE – has yet to win here but has two seconds and three thirds mostly against this level.

Race Two:

1st: #1 CREATIVE CHOICE – just missed against this class and distance two starts back then ran well again last out. He should work out another inside trip from the rail with Mike Allen and it would not surprise if Allen hustles him to the front.  

2nd: #5 OLE G MAN – stretched out to two turns for the first time and went gate to wire to break his maiden by four lengths. Cathy Rosantz wins 17% with her overall claimers and the last 92 show a healthy flat-bet profit.

3rd: #3 STUDYLONGSTDYWRONG – had been racing evenly in sprints then ran well last out going a two-turn mile.   

Race Three:

1st: #2 SLENDER BETSY – still a maiden after 10 tries but since adding blinkers, she ran well against state-bred male maidens with a second and third. Kevin Rice wins 16% with his synthetic-track starters and the last 419 show a flat-bet profit.

2nd: #6 AEGONTHECONQUEROR – speedball has improved in each of his three career starts. He was a good second last out in fast time and moves back up to a class level that he was third against two starts back off a long layoff.  

3rd: #5 GOLDBAR – first-time starter from Mike Stidham has been training well on the Tapeta at Fair Hill.

Race Four:

1st: #1 PERFECT PROVISION – broke her maiden in her Tapeta debut at Gulfstream Park as the 2-5 favorite. She did nothing there next time out but went to Saratoga and held on for second on the dirt. The daughter of Connect moves up off the claim.  

2nd: #4 MORE RANSOM – woke up and broke her maiden two starts back here when Lasix and blinkers were added. She romped that day by almost three lengths as the 13-10 favorite but tired badly after a half mile against allowance foes.

3rd: #6 MUY CHISTOSA – took her nine tries to break her maiden but she did it style and has some back class.

Race Five:

1st: #8 AZTEC PRINCESS – raced evenly in her career debut here going 5 1/2 furlongs but woke up big time next out going two turns when she rallied from far off the pace to miss by a nose. Tim Hamm wins 19% second time going long.

2nd: #6 BY THE YARD – first-time starter from Mike Stidham who wins 15% with his debut runners. The daughter of Uncle Mo (14% debut winners) is out of a dam by Seeking the Gold (17% debut winners) that has produced six winners from six foals to race.

3rd: #3 WARRIOR’S RANSOM – has improved in each of her three career starts and won’t have to overcome the rail.

Race Six:

1st: #2 CAMINO DE SANTIAGO – broke his maiden second time out here as the 3-5 favorite when he stalked the pace, then went up to Woodbine and raced wide in a turf sprint stakes race. Tim Hamm wins 26% with this surface switch.

2nd: #3 SHAMMAH – missed by a head in his well-bet career debut as the 3-2 favorite, then broke his maiden easily when he went gate to wire and was pulling away. Tim Hamm wins 23% with his overall synthetic-track starters.

3rd: #1 LEGEND OF CHARLIE – went gate to wire to break his maiden first time out but was soundly beaten in a dirt stakes.  

Race Seven:

1st: #4 YOUMUSTBEA WEASLEY – took him 10 tries to break his maiden. He came back with a second and a pair of thirds but the last two came against open company and he showed good speed last out. Kevin Rice wins 20% going short to long.

2nd: #8 SHOOT YOUR CUFFS – returns off short rest after running second here in his last three starts going six furlongs. His two starts going this distance were not good enough but the recent sprints should have sharpened him up for this.

3rd: #7 SACHMO – makes his Tapeta debut after winning two of his past three turf starts at Penn National.

Race Eight:

1st: #5 C THE KING – horse for the course has been stuck at this level but at least he runs some good speed ratings. After racing evenly two starts back, he was a good second in a wide trip last out and can beat these if he can run back to that effort.

2nd: #7 FARAT – after four poor efforts, he woke up at 17-1 and won going this distance in good time. The son of Lemon Drop Kid drops down in class and has some decent form on the turf against better. Huber Villa-Gomez rides back – 3 for 4 for Dave Markgraf.

3rd: #2 BELIEVEINHOLIDAYS – fits these conditions like a glove but he tired badly last out with no apparent excuse.