For a horse who has been a factor in speed in each of his 11 starts, racing in seventh place with only four horses beaten at the half-mile pole would give any astute handicapper a headache. But jockey Jose Ortiz showed everyone once again why he is one of the country's leading riders and calmed down Artie's Princess She progressed well with a heated early pace before guiding the filly to a stretch run finish in the Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2) on September 19.
Artie's Princess is a Canadian dog that was home bred by Ken Ramsey and his tardy wife Sarah honeysucklewhere she is a three-time winner on the artificial track. The Masters, with its $400,000 prize money, may have attracted top sprint mares caravel And Change of consl, but it was also the perfect US destination for Artie's Princess, who loves plastics.
As expected, Caravel under Luis Saez went for the early lead. A winner with two stakes over that Presque Isle Downs Caravel had much of her own lead as a 3-year-old, posting quick opening odds of :21.97 and :44.54. At the finish turn, Ortiz led Artie's Princess from seventh to second, and with a quarter-mile to go she pushed her way through the horses and through to the barrier.
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Artie's Princess stopped the timer in a record time of 1:14.57 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.
Cafe society who scored the winning goal when the score was 24-1 for coach Shug McGaughey, fought for second place tardy on the inside. Stablemate of Saffie Joseph All-worthy completed the trifecta in third place.
The favored Caravel fell to fourth place, while Change of Control, which couldn't cope with the surface in her first start on the plastic, took ninth place out of eleven.
Artie's Princess increased her winnings to $556,541 after earning her second career graded stakes victory, paying $8.20 for a $2 winning ticket as a 3-1 runner-up.
Artie's Princess was named the 2020 Sovereign Award Sprinter after winning the Bessabarian Stakes (G2) and Ruling Angel Stakes. A consistent mare, she has won 7 of her 12 career starts.
Artie's Princess is a daughter of Ramsey's vintage winner We Miss Artie and the second foal of the Stormy Atlantic mare Stormkeeper. The mother, who died this year, produced two winners from three foals by the time of the race. Her youngest offspring are a one-year-old full sister of Artie's Princess and a weanling colt of Gun Runner .
Surly Furious wins the Presque Isle Mile Stakes
Two races earlier on the card, Novogratz Racing Stables' Grumpy livid won the $200,000 Presque Isle Downs Mile Stakes for local trainer Glenn Wismer.
Ridden by Luis Saez, Surly Furious had a stalking trip that the favorite lacked carpenter call before pouncing on the railing in the final corner and claiming a decisive 1 3/4 length victory.
The 4-year-old gelding son of upstart ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.93.
Harlan Estate finished second, a neck ahead of him Fresh sun in the third.
