Fair odds: Look to 3-year-olds Friday in Presque Isle Masters

The Grade 2, $300,000 Masters Stakes on Friday at Presque Isle Downs is one of the weekend’s most fun wagering puzzles. Not only is it the feature race on a stakes-laden twilight card in Erie, Pa., but it also is part of a pair of intrastate multi-race wagers involving Grade 1 races on Saturday at Parx.

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The Masters, with its field of nine fillies and mares going 6 1/2 furlongs, certainly stands on its own as part of the 10-race Presque Isle card, but its addition into the Pennsylvania horizontals is welcome. It could help spice things up in a Pick 4 sequence that includes Thorpedo Anna in the Cotillion Stakes (G1). Takeout on both wagers is 15 percent.

First things first on the Masters. Roses for Debra is absolutely a vulnerable favorite in this spot. Yes, of course, she can win, and while she’s made a name for herself sprinting on turf, she won 3 of 4 synthetic starts for her previous trainer. It’s just another one of those situations where her best is only as good as some of the others in here.

Gal In a Rush is Roses for Debra’s uncoupled stablemate, and I actually prefer to that one, but I am worried that both Christophe Clément-trained runners will take too much money. Throw in that they’re both carrying the high weight of 125 pounds each, and there’s reason to look elsewhere.

I’m most excited about Pandora’s Gift, who totes just 116 pounds as a 3-year-old filly. While her most recent grass tries don’t really stack up here, the Brisnet Class Ratings say her synthetic performances are good enough to win these. She steadily carried 125-133 pounds in those races.

The other 3-year-old I like is Nice As Pie, who was undefeated in four starts this year on Turfway’s synthetic. She’s another who will be coming from way out of it. That concerns me slightly against my top pick Pandora’s Gift, because I think Pandora’s Gift will be much more forward.