The PID Masters Stakes (Grade 2)- $300.00 Purse
PID- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Dirt
September 18, 2026

Grade 2 action will be taking place Friday at PID with the 15th running of the PID Masters Stakes, with for fillies and mares going six and a half furlongs. The race debuted in 2009 with a $400.00 purse, but has not been held every year. The $100.00 deduction occurred in 2023, and it has been at the present level ever since. A horse named Bla Bla Bla won last year from TwinTowersRacing, but it would be her last big moment, as she struggled in a few starts that followed and has since been retired. We’ll have seven in the field this year, let’s take a look at them now!

1- Illusive Spark (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by S Elliott)- Claimed by the trainer for $25.00 back in May, and up until that point her entire career has been in overnights and not always at high, or even mid-level tracks. D J C took his time with her, and would not start her again until August, and it was here in PID. If it was a typical PID optional claimer, it would have been right in line with other of her starts, but instead it was in the $100.00 Satin And Lace Stakes. She looked stunning in that, running second after trying to wire the field. Continues to work well, so why not try a little more this time.

2- Aghast (Mb Stables, ridden by J Lezcano)- Mb has had plenty of success in this race, winning it four times in a row between 2015 and 2018 and will now look to get back to the winners circle with this impressive five year old mare. Aghast is the highest earner in the field, having eclipsed the $1,000.00 mark, thanks to ten wins in 30 starts. She’s a two-time BC runner, and did appear in the F & M Sprint last fall and cashed the fourth place check. This year, she’s continued to be a regular graded runner, and her last such win was only three back in the Grade 3 Colors at CD. Still at the top of her game.

3- Chase The Money (Avenue Z, ridden by G A Martinez)- About two months ago, Chase The Money was no longer chasing the top prize, as she picked up the win in the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes at WO. It snapped a winless streak of fourteen races, but she still had been hitting the board about half the time as well. A problem with Chase The Money is that she is still not a consistent runner, and all it takes is to look at the two starts on either side of the Hendrie Stakes, where she finished near the back. Sure, the Ballerina was a tough field, but this is field is as well.

4- Complicated Crazy (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by L Contreras)- When we talked about Illusive Spark trying to go wire to wire here in the Satin And Lace Stakes, but ended up being caught and finished second, you may have been wondering who caught her. Well, that would be Complicated Crazy, and now she too is back on a track where she had success in her last start to try and do the same for a larger purse. It would also get her trainer his second straight win in this race. The five year old mare is two-for-six on the year, but hasn’t always been at her best when running against graded opposition. That’s a little concerning to me.

5- Shericka (Winning Link Stables, ridden by G Corrales)- Last season, Shericka was outstanding, and particularly during the summer portion of her schedule. In June, she would win the Grade 3 DEL Oaks, and would then follow that up with a near miss in a photo in the Grade 1 Test from SAR, settling for the second spot against top company. These results would get her into the BC F & M Sprint, but there is not much more to be said about that one. Unfortunately this year, Shericka has struggled to get going, though did begin with an allowance win at TAM. In the three graded races that followed, all of which have her going long, she’s been beaten by a combined 13 lengths, though in one, it was good enough for third. Perhaps getting her back into a sprint can earn her a better result.

6- Reflex Action (The Sidley Stud, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- While this mare has earned over $600.00, most of that has not come within the last two years during her time with The Sidley Stud. She still has her moments, but even those are being relegated to fourth place finishes now. Since finding old glory with her win in The Inside Information (Grade 2) at GP In January, she’s been struggled and running no better than fourth. The trainer is still giving her chances in top races, so it showed that he has not lost any confidence, and she did have a solid effort in the Grade 3 Bernardo Stakes, but can she do that, and likely a little more, again here?

7- Journey East (Serenity Stables, ridden by T Gafflaione)- The journey for this one was predominately in open allowances on the turf at mid or low level tracks during her career, and she always ran well in those races, consistently hitting the board time and time again. In March, her old trainer ran her in a $12.50 claimer, and several trainers caught notice. Serenity Stables prevailed in the four-way shake, and a month later, led her to victory in the $200.00 Roxelana at CD, which was also a move off the turf. This is her biggest career test right here.

Prediction: 2-4-7-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES