The debut of the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes in 2007 was a dream scenario for Presque Isle Downs. Miss Macy Sue claimed the first running and subsequently finished third in that year’s initial Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Over the following six years, four more victors of the Presque Isle Masters went on to capture the Filly and Mare Sprint, highlighted by the consecutive triumphs of Groupie Doll in 2012 and 2013.
Miss Macy Sue, the race’s first champion, would later enjoy a highly successful second career in the breeding shed, producing Grade 1 champion and stallion Liam’s Map alongside top-tier sire Not This Time. It is clear that the event established an immediate and enduring legacy.
For its third running in 2009, the Presque Isle Downs Masters was lengthened from six furlongs to 6 ½ furlongs, a distance that has remained constant ever since on the track’s synthetic Tapeta Footings surface.
FanDuel TV will provide live coverage of the $300,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters on Friday, Sept. 18, with the race set to go off at 8:36 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in to ABR’s “Pennsylvania Derby & Presque Isle Downs Masters Preview Show!” airing on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. ET. Featuring hosts Ashley Wood, Alexa Zepp, and Jessica Paquette, this live broadcast will offer handicapping insights and breakdowns of both the Presque Isle Masters and the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby, which takes place on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Parx Racing. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Association, the “Pennsylvania Derby & Presque Isle Downs Masters Preview Show!” is scheduled to stream across ABR’s social platforms, including Facebook, X, and YouTube.
Continue reading to explore detailed profiles and wagering perspectives for each of the nine contenders entered in the Presque Isle Downs Masters:
1. Sea Runner
Jockey: Antonio Gallardo
Trainer: William Morey
Owner: CUYATHY LLC
Career record: 16 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 3 thirds
Career earnings: $184,416
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100
Pedigree: Gun Runner – Cuyathy, by Congrats
Age: 4
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Analysis: After beginning her career with nine races on dirt and grass (mostly on turf), Sea Runner has adapted exceptionally well to synthetic tracks. In her past five outings, all on all-weather paths, she has recorded two victories, one runner-up effort, and a third-place finish, which came in Turfway Park’s Wishing Well Stakes back in February. She arrives here following a half-length triumph in her debut performance on the Presque Isle track, and she will benefit from the guidance of jockey Antonio Gallardo, who has already won this race twice. Although she failed to hit the board in her two prior attempts in graded company, she looks like a strong contender who could offer great wagering value.
2. Les Reys
Jockey: Axel Concepcion
Trainer: Miguel Clement
Owners: West Point Thoroughbreds, Peter Leidel, and Winters Equine
Career record: 17 starts – 5 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $280,957
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 104
Pedigree: Penny’s Picnic – Allegria, by Verglas
Age: 5
Color: Gray or Roan
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: Her 2025 campaign included two performances on Woodbine’s synthetic track, highlighted by a victory in the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion Stakes Presented by Tanqueray in October to secure her first graded stakes win, followed by a disappointing 13th in the Grade 3 Bessarabian Stakes. Back on turf in 2026, she has gone winless through four attempts, with her top performance being a second-place finish in a June allowance event at Aqueduct. If she can replicate her peak performance from last season’s Ontario Fashion, her speed is certainly sufficient to win, but bettors should demand a fair price given she has won just once in her previous nine races. Trainer Miguel Clement is enjoying an outstanding season and captured this very race last year with Gal in a Rush, meaning Les Reys might attract excessive public support.
3. Paradise City
Jockey: Micah Husbands
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Owners: C2 Racing Stable, Shining Stables, Paul Braverman, Timothy Pinch, and BAG Racing Stables
Career record: 15 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $397,367
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97
Pedigree: McKinzie – Washington Bridge, by Yankee Gentleman
Age: 4
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: This filly is somewhat of an unpredictable element in the lineup; though she has spent her career facing elite rivals on both dirt and turf, she is making her synthetic debut in this spot. Last autumn, she fell just a nose short of winning the one-mile, Grade 3 Winter Memories Stakes on turf. Following two off-the-board turf efforts, she kicked off her 4-year-old campaign with consecutive sprint victories on dirt, notably taking the Saylorville Stakes at Prairie Meadows by 1 1/2 lengths. She comes into this contest after running fifth in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga over seven furlongs. Dropping in class and shortening up to 6 1/2 furlongs under the care of a trainer who has twice won this race, Paradise City is a highly intriguing contender.
4. Paris Carver
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Trainer: Jorge Delgado
Owner: Amo Racing USA
Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $58,789
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro – Orquidias Biz, by Fed Biz
Age: 3
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Press the pace
Analysis: As the only sophomore in the race, Paris Carver has shown immense promise since moving from European racing to trainer Jorge Delgado’s American stable for her 2026 campaign, securing two victories and a third from four starts in the U.S. Her only unplaced finish was an unfortunate incident where she fell due to a multi-horse spill in the July 3 Wild Applause Stakes. Thankfully, she came away unscathed and returned a month later to secure a victory in a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint on Aug. 2 at Monmouth Park. This daughter of Bolt d’Oro has tested a synthetic track once before, running a close third in her American debut. Similar to Paradise City, she is a bit of a gamble as she makes only her seventh lifetime appearance and seeks her first win on an all-weather surface. However, she possesses rare early speed in this field, and pilot Paco Lopez is expected to send her forward. She represents an intriguing option if she goes off at a square price.
5. Reagan’s Flame
Jockey: Edgard Zayas
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Owners: St. Elias Stable, BAG Racing Stables, Turf Express Racing, and Watkins Diamond Stables LLC
Career record: 23 starts – 8 wins – 5 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $596,963
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 105
Pedigree: Flameaway – Mizzen Donald, by Mizzen Mast
Age: 5
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: She stands out as the expected favorite and the horse to beat, boasting three wins from four starts on synthetic tracks this season. Most recently, she cruised to a dominant 3 1/4-length victory from off the pace in the seven-furlong Seaway Stakes on Woodbine’s all-weather main track. Before this season, she had run 10 times on dirt and eight times on turf, but she has thrived on the synthetic surface. Her breakthrough came in May at Woodbine, where she captured the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes Presented by Crown Royal and earned a career-high 105 Equibase Speed Figure (along with a 92 Beyer). Having won this event in 2022 and 2023, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. holds a powerful hand to secure another victory here with the formidable duo of Reagan’s Flame and stablemate Paradise City.
6. Pondering
Jockey: Pietro Moran
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Owner: Godolphin
Career record: 17 starts – 4 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $437,468
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 101
Pedigree: Hard Spun – Always Thinking, by Street Sense
Age: 4
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer/stalker
Analysis: This season has been tough for Pondering, who went unplaced and was heavily beaten in three turf sprint appearances. However, she finished her 2025 season in fine style on synthetic tracks, first defeating classic winner Caitlinhergrtness by three-quarters of a length to capture the Grade 3 Bessarabian Stakes at Woodbine on Nov. 8, and then running second in the Holiday Inaugural Stakes Presented by Claiborne Farm at Turfway Park. Her Bessarabian victory yielded career-best speed numbers, including a 101 Equibase and a 90 Beyer. A return to synthetic could easily spark a return to her best form, making her a dangerous threat, but her poor turf form this season raises legitimate questions about her current condition.
7. Mitole Magic
Jockey: Gaddiel Martinez
Trainer: Randall Russell
Owner: Randall Russell
Career record: 18 starts – 4 wins – 3 seconds – 6 thirds
Career earnings: $177,285
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96
Pedigree: Mitole – Blake’s Magic, by Bernstein
Age: 5
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Pacesetter
Analysis: This local hope is the likely pace generator and boasts a solid track record on the Presque Isle synthetic track, where she has compiled three wins, four seconds, and four thirds in 13 starts. Last summer, she finished a closing second in the Satin and Lace Stakes before setting the tempo and tiring to sixth in this race. In her prep for this year’s running, she missed by a mere head in the 2026 Satin and Lace Stakes on Aug. 3. She is expected to try and lead them all the way as she seeks her maiden stakes victory on Friday. While defeating this caliber of field will be a challenge, she has the speed to stay in the hunt for a minor share and spice up the exotic wagers at a big price.
8. Lovely Emma
Jockey: Israel Rodriguez
Trainer: Peter Eurton
Owner: C R K Stable LLC
Career record: 13 starts – 4 wins – 2 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $265,758
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 102
Pedigree: Twirling Candy – Salsa Diavola, by Mineshaft
Age: 4
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/press the pace
Analysis: Except for a race that was transferred to a muddy dirt track in January 2026, Lovely Emma has run entirely on grass. Although she is also entered in Saturday’s Floral Park Stakes on the turf at Belmont Park, her connections supplemented her to this race, suggesting they are eager to test her on synthetic in search of graded stakes glory. She put together a three-race win streak earlier this year and enters here off a third-place effort in the 5 1/2-furlong Hummingbird Stakes Presented by Sterling Industrial on soft turf at Ellis Park on Aug. 1. Her speed figures fit well in this lineup, but handling the all-weather surface remains a big question mark as she shoots for her first stakes breakthrough.
9. Jill Jitterbug
Jockey: Taylor Kingsley
Trainer: Ryan Walsh
Owners: Shagbark Farm
Career record: 36 starts – 4 wins – 6 seconds – 2 thirds
Career earnings: $384,795
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94
Pedigree: Cross Traffic – Sweet Nkosi, by A. P. Warrior
Age: 6
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker
Analysis: After failing to hit the board in both the 2023 and 2024 editions of this race, Jill Jitterbug has now gone winless in 27 straight starts since her triumph in the Lady Erie Stakes on this track back in August 2023. She has hit the board five times during this dry spell, including four times in her last nine outings, but those runs came against much softer competition, and her speed figures suggest she is up against it here. Her biggest asset is her extensive experience on synthetic tracks, having finished in the top three 11 times from 23 starts on the surface (including two wins and two seconds from eight appearances at Presque Isle). Nevertheless, she is expected to be one of the longest shots on the board on Friday.
