Artie's Princess Sails Clear in Presque Isle Masters

For a horse that has been a part of the controlling speed in every one of her 11 starts, racing in seventh with only four horses beat at the half-mile pole would make any astute handicapper scratch their head. However, jockey Jose Ortiz showed everyone once again why he is one of the leading riders in the country, settlling Artie's Princess  well off a hot early pace before guiding the filly to a stretch-running score in the Sept. 19 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2).

A Canadian homebred for Ken Ramsey and his late wife Sarah, Artie's Princess regularly runs at Woodbine, where she is a three-time stakes winner over the synthetic track. The Masters, with its $400,000 purse, may have lured in top turf sprinting mares Caravel  and Change of Control, but it was also the perfect U.S. target for synthetic-loving Artie's Princess.

As expected, Caravel gunned for the early lead under Luis Saez. A dual stakes winner over the Presque Isle Downs synthetic as a 3-year-old, Caravel had much of it her own way up front, clocking off swift opening fractions of :21.97 and :44.54. Into the bend for home, Ortiz guided Artie's Princess from seventh to second and with a quarter-mile to run, she forged her way between horses and kicked clear to the wire.

Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Artie's Princess stopped the timer in a track record time of 1:14.57 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.

Cafe Society , lighting up the tote board at 24-1 for trainer Shug McGaughey, rallied late along the inside for second. Fellow Saffie Joseph stablemate Allworthy  completed the trifecta in third.

Favored Caravel faded to fourth while Change of Control, failing to handle the surface in her first start on the synthetic, finished ninth of 11.

Improving her earnings to $556,541 after earning her second career graded stakes win, Artie's Princess paid $8.20 for a $2 win ticket as the 3-1 second choice.

Artie's Princess was named the 2020 Sovereign Award champion female sprinter after capturing the Bessabarian Stakes (G2) and Ruling Angel Stakes. A consistent mare, she has won 7 of her 12 career starts.

A daughter of Ramsey's grade 1 winner We Miss Artie, Artie's Princess is the second foal out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Stormkeeper. The dam, who died this year, has produced two winners from three foals to race. Her youngest offspring are a yearling full sister to Artie's Princess and a weanling colt by Gun Runner  .

Two races earlier on the card, Novogratz Racing Stables' Surly Furious  took the $200,000 Presque Isle Downs Mile Stakes for local trainer Glenn Wismer.

Ridden by Luis Saez, Surly Furious sat a stalking trip off favored Carpenters Call  before pouncing on the rail around the final turn, drawing away to a decisive 1 3/4-length victory.

The 4-year-old gelded son of Upstart   raced the 1 1/16-miles in 1:41.93.

Harlan Estate  was runner-up, a neck in front of Novo Sol  in third.