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

They're off at Presque Isle Downs (Photo by Coady Media)
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.
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