Presque Isle Downs Selections and Analysis for Friday, Sept. 19, 2025

Dick Powell handicaps the Friday card at Presque Isle Downs.

Race One:

1st: (5) FOXXY CLEOPATRA – speedball broke her maiden here two years ago, first time out, then has raced mostly on turf. She should be fit and ready off a good third at Kentucky Downs for Larry Rivelli. 

2nd: (6) YOUALMOSTHADME – won a stakes race here last year in her lone PID start. After being off the board in her seasonal debut, she came back to win by six lengths on the dirt at Indiana. Flavien Prat is scheduled to ride.  

3rd: (1) IMMORTALLOVE – tired two starts back, then came back to win handily here. 

Race Two:

1st: (2) SLIM SLOW SLIDER – won going away in good time two starts back, then raced evenly when moved up in class. He drops back down and draws well with Pablo Morales – 19% going long.  

2nd: (4) ROYAL LUCK – dropped down in class two starts back and was a closer second in a long sprint. Last out, he stretched back out to two turns for Arriagada and finished a close-up third. Gallardo is 4-for-11 riding for this barn at PID the past four years.   

3rd: (5) WHY NOT ME – showed good speed last year and drops down in class here for Tim Hamm.

Race Three:

1st: (1) SQUAD GOALS – first-time starter from Adam Rice who wins 31% with his debut runners and 23% when they debut against this level. He draws the rail, and his gate workouts have been solid.  

2nd: (8) LEFTNATEAWALKIN – did little in his career debut, then came back with a good third. Scooter Davis wins 28% with his synthetic-track starters and 29% when he rides Rosario Montanez. 

3rd: (5) FREESTATE – has improved in all three career starts and now tries Tapeta for the first time. 

Race Four:

1st: (5) STARSHIP EMPIRE – horse for the course has 11 wins and 12 seconds in 32 starts here. He ran well in his three starts off the claim by Ron Potts, who drops him back down to the price he last won at.

2nd: (6) I LUCKED OUT – speedball went gate to wire two starts in a row, then tired last out in fast time against better than these. Tim Girten wins 36% first start after being beaten as the favorite. 

3rd: (8) COLONEL POPPY – rallied for second in a sprint, then won going away at two turns. 

Race Five:

1st: (2) BUCARO – won the Fitz Dixon, Jr. S. here last year in his PID debut. He prepped for this with a good turf sprint at Colonial for Mike Trombetta, who wins 16% with this surface switch.  

2nd: (3) CERTAIN – horse for the course chased the pace two starts back, going two turns, then won here going six furlongs in fast time. Teresa Connelly wins 22% first start after a win and 45% with Morales. 

3rd: (5) TODDCHERO – ran well in his first two career starts here, then won last out as the heavy favorite. 

Race Six:

1st: (10) KONTIKI – has never raced on Tapeta, but she won her last three starts by huge margins on three different dirt tracks for Brad Cox, who wins 27% with this surface switch and 29% first start after a win.    

2nd: (4) PEACH TIE – won going away as the lukewarm favorite in her career debut on the dirt at Colonial five weeks ago. Brittany Russell wins 24% first start after a maiden win and 22% first start after a win.  

3rd: (2) SMOOCH UP – romped by wide margins in both career starts here on Tapeta. 

Race Seven:

1st: (1) INMATE – in a race that doesn’t look like the strongest field, he has a big late kick, which should get him up in time. Ron Potts wins 26% second time out and 22% with his synthetic-track starters.     

2nd: (8) MAX CAPACITY – romped by four lengths in his career debut on the dirt, then tired in a stakes race at Delaware Park. He continues to train well and gets Pablo Morales. 

3rd: (2) LIVE STREAM – showed he can pass horses when he won going away last out here, going five furlongs. 

Race Eight:

1st: (4) TWILIGHT DANCER – missed by a neck two starts back in a state-bred stakes race here, then came back to run second against open company. He draws well and should be able to work out a good trip. 

2nd: (7) GROUNDED – horse for the course has won 14 times here in 25 starts and he’s only seven. Son of Medaglia d’Oro won his last three starts here for Scooter Davis, who wins 34% first start after a win.   

3rd: (10) ENCINO – son of Nyquist has plenty of back class on various surfaces.

Race Nine:

1st: (6) PANDORA’S GIFT – was a terrific second in this race last year when making her American debut. She won three times on synthetic tracks in England and has run well in America in turf sprints against graded company. 

2nd: (3) ELYSIAN FIELD – one-dimensional closer did nothing in turf two starts back in her seasonal debut but bounced back with a win on the Tapeta at Woodbine in a grade three stakes race.  

3rd: (11) ELLEN JAY – won three turf races in a row, then rallied for third in a turf sprint at Saratoga. 

Race Ten:

1st: (5) KALAHARI NOT SORRY – has run second five straight times against this allowance level. He has good speed, and Kathy Demasi wins 36% going turf to synthetic and 29% going long to short. 

2nd: (11) BET ON BRET – did nothing in his first three career starts when beaten by 71 lengths, then he won here in his Tapeta debut. He came back with an even effort and adds blinkers for the first time.  

3rd: (9) SCHNITTKER – moves up a notch in class off two strong, well-bet wins here.