Presque Isle Downs Selections and Analysis for Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024

Dick Powell handicaps Tuesday’s action at Presque Isle Downs and furnishes his selections.

Race 1

1st: (5) BUSK – just missed in his well-bet career debut here going this distance in fast time. With the normal improvement second-time starters usually show, he should be too tough for this group. John Bourke wins 21% with his synthetic-track starters. 

2nd: (1) HARBOUR BRIDGE – still a maiden after 10 tries, but after failing here going two turns in his PID debut, the gelded son of Justify came back with a good second going this distance in fast time.   

3rd: (4) NOT RIGHT NOW – raced evenly in his career debut behind the top choice here last out. 

Race 2

1st: (7) MOTITO – beat similar company two starts back here in a long sprint, then moved up to state-bred allowance foes and won going away. He drops back down in class for Tim Girten, who wins 23% first start after a win. 

2nd: (6) HALF BIRTHDAY – horse for the course drops way down in class after rallying for second going 5 1/2 furlongs against better company. Matt Kintz wins 16% with his sprinters and 15% with his overall claimers. 

3rd: (1) VALIANT VICTORIA – moves up in class off some decent starts against bottom claimers. 

Race 3

1st: (5) WARRIOR’S HUMOR – rallied from just off the pace to get second in his career debut here going six furlongs in average time. He should improve enough with a better break with Willie Martinez riding back.   

2nd: (2) DANCING ON AIR – showed speed in all three career starts and now returns off a 105-day layoff for Wendy Uhacz, who is able to get Pablo Morales to ride back despite having only one win this year. 

3rd: (6) WARRIOR’S COBBLER – showed high speed before tiring as the 8-5 favorite in his career debut here. 

Race 4

1st: (6) COURT AND SPARK – horse for the course beat much better, then was a good third behind a next-out winner. He came back to win a long sprint against starter allowance foes, then ran third last out in very fast time.   

2nd: (1) RESIST THE DEVIL – horse for the course has won nine times here, including five of his last six local starts. He is 5-for-5 against bottom claimers and should be able to work out a ground-saving trip with Israel Rodriguez — 29% with Kevin Rice.  

3rd: (3) GENERAL WINSTON – beat this class level the last two times for Kintz, who runs him back again. 

Race 5

1st: (2) TURK AND WENDY – rallied from far back to get up for second in his career debut here in a turf sprint. Todd Beattie wins 20% with his second-time starters, so improvement can be expected. 

2nd: (6) LOVE PACK – rallied some on the dirt at Colonial Downs after a poor start, then chased going seven furlongs in fast time. Son of Classic Empire is training on the Tapeta at Fair Hill for Graham Motion, who wins 18% with this surface switch.  

3rd: (7) HIGHTAIL FOX – still a maiden after three tries, but they were all solid efforts.

Race 6

1st: (7) HEY PADRE – beat this claiming level going gate to wire two starts back, then was a close third when moved up in class. Scooter Davis wins 26% going long and 25% with his synthetic-track starters. 

2nd: (5) YARDMAN – out of the money in his last four starts, so it’s time to take the class drop. He raced evenly in good time last out against better, stalking a mild pace, and switches to Antonio Gallardo — 31% with his route rides.  

3rd: (1) SPEAK UNITY – makes his PID debut off some decent turf efforts, but he does have some back class on Tapeta. 

Race 7

1st: (6) HE’S A GOOD DANCER – his best race was a fourth two starts back in fast time, then he rallied for second. He drops to the bottom for Kevin Rice, who wins 21% first start after being beaten as the favorite. Addiel Ayala rides back — 25% with Rice.   

2nd: (4) BANDITOFTHEPRAIRIE – missed by a neck two starts back against this group at long odds, then came back with a good third. Dave Markgraf wins 17% with his overall claimers, and his last 186 synthetic-track starters show a flat-bet profit.

3rd: (1) COMMODORE BARRY – winless this year in five starts, but he does have back class and Morales back aboard. 

Race 8

1st: (2) HURRICANE DUDE – did nothing in his first two career starts here going short, but then he suddenly improved when stretched out to two turns with Lasix added. Tim Hamm wins 19% on synthetic tracks and 21% with Morales.  

2nd: (7) ELFUEGOMASBRILANTE – still a maiden after 22 tries, but they all came against better maiden company, and this is his Tapeta debut. Despite the recent lack of success, he gets Gallardo to ride. 

3rd: (10) BROMISTA – ran well two starts back, then weakened after making a strong middle move.