Ageless, Living The Life Return for Masters

Lael Stables' Ageless, who rarely fails to put forth an excellent effort, is scheduled to return to Presque Isle Downs & Casino Sept. 7 for another try in the $400,000 Presque Isle Masters Stakes (gr. II) on the Tapeta surface.

 

Last year the 6-year-old Successful Appeal   mare showed uncustomary early foot in the Masters and faltered late to finish third, 1 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Living The Life, who is entered again this year. Ageless, trained by Arnaud Delacour, in her last start won the Royal North Stakes (Can-IIIT) at Woodbine for the second consecutive year.

 

Ageless drew post 7 in a field of nine entered in the 6 1/2-furlong Masters, which goes as race five on an eight-race Labor Day card that begins at 5:25 p.m. ET. Julien Leparoux has a return call at high weight of 123 pounds.

 

HnR Northhaft Horse Racing's Living The Life shipped from Southern California to northwestern Pennsylvania for the Masters last year and will do so again for trainer Gary Mandella. The 5-year-old mare by British stallion Footstepsinthesand last raced July 11 and finished second in the Great Lady M Stakes (gr. II) at Los Alamitos Race Course.

 

Living The Life, undefeated in three synthetic-surface starts in the United States, drew post 3 at 115 pounds under Joe Bravo, who this year has done well traveling to different tracks to ride in major stakes.

 

Speedway Stable's Leigh Court could prove the one to catch in the Masters. The 5-year-old mare by Grand Slam finished a close second to Ageless in the Royal North in her last start, her first of the year, and ships in from Arlington International Racecourse where she has been training sharply on the Polytrack surface.

 

Gary Boulanger is named to ride for trainer Mike Stidham from post 4. Leigh Court, who has handled the Polytrack at Woodbine very well, last fall won the grade II Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes on dirt at Keeneland.

 

Sycamore Racing's Nellie Cashman, known as a two-turn turf mare, was cross-entered in the Masters and the Sept. 5 Mrs. Penny Stakes for Pennsylvania-breds on the grass at Parx Racing. The 5-year-old Mineshaft   mare has trained well for Francis "Tres" Abbott III on Tapeta at Fair Hill Training Center and would be an interesting possibility should she cut back in distance at Presque Isle.

 

Forest Boyce, her regular rider, is named at 118 pounds from post 1.