The PID Masters Stakes (Grade 2)- $400.000 Purse
PID- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
Six and a Half Furlongs on the Dirt
September 17, 2018

Don’t be fooled into thinking there is nothing exciting going on this Monday, as quality graded action takes place in the Keystone State as the 8th running of the Grade 2 PID Masters Stakes goes to post. The race first appeared on the schedule in 2009, but has not run on a yearly basis since 2014. That was also the last time that a trainer other then Mb Stables ended up in the winners circle of the race. From 2015 onward, Mb Stables has picked up the PID Master crown, doing so with Smoocher, Lea, and Darling Smile. You won’t have to look far to find his threesome in the starting gate either, as after having several outside draws over the weekend, Mb Stables sees his horses drawing the inside three posts. It is likely that the track will be wet, and probably sloppy as virtual Florence remnants go through this area on Monday. There is a field of ten here, let’s take a look at them now.

#1- Oyster Puff (Mb Stables, ridden by L Saez)- On the rail, this filly is looking for her first career stake win, but she has been very consistent otherwise. She has seven wins, and thirteen finishes in the top two in twenty career starts. Gets near the front, and has been coming closer to getting that signature win for her career. In the Princess Rooney (Grade 2) a couple months ago, she placed second to her stablemate, Toleration. Maybe it will be her time now, and she should be competitive on an off track.

#2- Are We Dreamin (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- The Commanding filly comes into this race hot, with two wins in her last three starts, highlighted by the Grade 3 Trillium Stakes at WO. Ran a very respectable third in July at the Grade 1 CCA Oaks at SAR. She has more experience going long, then she does sprinting, but her recent running style would suggest that she will enjoy a shorter distance here. Though mud or slop is something that she is not used too.

#3- Forgetful (Mb Stables, ridden by P Lopez)- Started the year running in allowances at both FL and TUP, and eventually moved on to smaller ungraded stakes. She picked up a win in one of those in her last start, the $30.000 Passero Memorial Cup at FE last month. Now, she sets her sights on the biggest purse she has ever run for. One win in two starts on off tracks, with that win being the Passero, which was good that day. More then likely, it will be worse then good here.

#4- Baby Goes To Rio (Aml Racing, ridden by B J Hernandez Jr)- I’ve had the pleasure of reporting on this horse on her better days, and we’ll see what she does here. She seems a little inconsistent to me, especially after she won Jammed Lovely last year at WO. That is her last victory, but she has had close calls, such as the Distaff Handicap (Grade 3) at AQU in the beginning of April. Two off track starts tell very different stories about how she might handle a wet track here.

#5- Temple Of The Brave (Crocker Ggs, ridden by J R Velazquez)- After finishing second in the BC Fillies and Mares Sprint last year, Temple Of The Brave has been lightly raced in 2018, with just four starts. In those races, she has had one finish in each of the top four spots, which is highlighted by winning the Inside Information (Grade 2) on St. Patrick’s Day. Followed it up in the mud at the Grade 1 Humana Distaff, where she led for a while before dropping to fourth. Won the Grade 2 Prioress at SAR in the mud last year.

#6- La Havana Vieja (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by A A Gallardo)- Claimed by the trainer at the beginning of May for $25.000, and promptly was placed in the Grade 3 Bed of Roses Handicap at MTH. She’d win the race, wiring the field at 94/1 with A A Gallardo in the saddle. A couple races after that were decent, but ended up without a check, so now La Havana Vieja will be happy to have Gallardo’s services again. Two off tracks in her past performances are not her prettiest race lines, but it could just be a small sample size.

#7- Symphonic (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by J Bravo)- Its either first, second, or seventh for this one. The good side of her shows a win in the $75.000 Regret at MTH, followed up by a second place effort in the Grade 1 Test (on a sloppy track). Then, while a horse named Symphonic would be perfect for winning the Ballerina, that did not happen, and she was seventh. A couple of duds in her history, but she never had back to back bad races. Love her breeding with Cherokee Sunset on top and Terra Rising on the bottom.

#8- Capella Rising (Stone Creek Farm, ridden by V Espinoza)- At the beginning of February, Stone Creek Farm made an excellent claim, acquiring this four year old filly for just $16.000. Right away, she was able to step up, running second in the $100.000 Spring Fever Stakes for CA-breds just three weeks later. This set up a three-race second place streak, all at the stake level, which was snapped just how you’d want it to be, by winning. That victory was the Grade 3 Desert Stormer at SA. She has continued to run well and is poised for a big run here. Her two off track starts are too far back to concern ourselves with here.

#9- Theatre Music (Smokey Stover, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Pretty remarkable history with this one, given 15 of her 18 career races have been statebreds. Don’t think I have seen a horse of this level with such a large percentage like that. She was very successful in NY-bred stakes, hitting the board frequently, but getting just one win. Smokey Stover picked her up in private sales for $200.000 and continued her at NY-bred races, until he looked to take her further and run her at the graded level. In July, Theatre Music stepped up an won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss, not a statebred, but still coming at SAR. She hasn’t traveled too far out of state here, and should be a threat coming off of that race. Her last three races on off tracks have resulted in wins.

#10- Dashboard Rahy (John Henry, ridden by R J Albarado)- Starting on the outside, this veteran six year old mare will look to pick up her fifteenth win in her 32nd career start, and she is hot right now. Three of her last four races have ended up with her in the winners circle, starting with the Las Flores (Grade 3) at SA, then the Santa Monica (Grade 2), also at SA. Most recently, she won the Great Lady M (Grade 2) at LA. Those are similar races in overall conditions, so in ideal conditions, we certainly would need to look at her as one of the top choices, and on a wet track, her chances seem even greater with two wins in three starts.

Prediction: 9-5-10-1

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES