Opening Day Card at Presque Isle Downs

The rest of Presque Isle’s opening day card is interesting, with some recognizable names.

Most exciting for me is race 3 which features my favorite oldster, Danthebluegrassman! Damn! Now I wish I was going to opening day festivities! Nellie, I don’t suppose you would take a picture of Dan for me if you are going, would you? Pretty please…Also in that race is Steve Asmussen’s aforementioned Catonight. Overall, Asmussen has horses entered in six of the eight races, including Appellate, a maiden 2 year old filly running in race 2. Curious to see, when this brief meet is over, whether Asmussen or Scott Lake can claim pissing rights as leading trainer…or if someone else usurps it.

Race 5 features not only Anasazi Moon (whose tenuous connection to Barbaro I’ve discussed before), but recent Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes winner One Eyed Joker, whose $44.40 win payout in that race jumped started my Public Handicapper stats tremendously. Go Joker!

I’m loving race 7 which features Kiaran McLaughlin’s Museeb (Danzig) who last finished third to Gangster in the Bold Venture Stakes at Woodbine; and owner Maggi Moss’ Indian Chant who won the Prairie Meadows Sprint last out, and set a 6 furlong track record (1:07.55) at Churchill Downs the race prior. Steve Asmussen has two entries here—Santana Springs (discussed in a previous post) and Kingsgate Bay (owned by Padua Stables) who had an impressive 2 year old campaign (4 straight stakes wins) in England, before disappearing…unraced at 3 and 4, he began his 5 year old campaign by finishing last in a 7 horse field in an OC50K/n$y-N at Arlington on August 18. However, he bled in that race, thus first-time Lasix here. Looks like a very interesting race!

Mario Pino rides two horses for Steve Klesaris—Dicey Girl in the Inaugural Stakes, and Cat Criminal who most recently scratched from the G3 Leonard Richards Stakes at Delaware. Here he shows up in a $44,000 allowance against competition that includes Graham Motion’s Everyman who finished mid-pack in the G3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland back in early April, and Itsallboutthechase who finished just out of the money in the Governor’s Handicap at Ellis Park last out. Apparently, Pino plans to ride fairly regularly at PID—specifically, every Thursday and Friday.

Regardless of how well Presque Isle’s inaugural meet goes, at least it will be of benefit to the local community on multiple levels, including some unexpected.