Favorites may be vulnerable in Leemat Stakes

On turf, where Granny’s Kitten has placed in a Grade 3 stakes, or dirt, where Roxbury N Overton has won four of his last five starts, including a stakes, both horses would be logical favorites in a stakes restricted to Pennsylvania-breds.

But the Leemat, one of two $100,000, one-mile stakes on Sunday’s program at Presque Isle Downs, will be contested on Tapeta. Since neither Granny’s Kitten nor Roxbury N Overton has ever run on a synthetic surface, it might be wise to look beyond the first two choices on the track’s morning line for a proven synthetic performer at a better price.

Two horses whose chances may far exceed their 20-1 program odds are Helm and Bern’ James Bern.

Helm, claimed for $25,000 by Jamie Ness in April, has primarily raced on turf for the past two seasons. He’s just 1 for 14 lifetime on grass but has been involved in the exacta in five of seven tries at Presque Isle, including three wins. In his last local appearance in July 2014, he won a first-level allowance with an 86 Beyer Speed Figure that would stamp him as a contender in this spot.

Like Helm, the 6-year-old Bern’ James Bern has just one lifetime turf win but is 3 for 6 at Presque Isle. He was beaten just two lengths in a prep for the Leemat on June 15 despite racing three wide on both turns.

Other viable options in the Leemat (race 7) include the 9-year-old Roadhog, second by a head in the 2014 running of the Leemat and a four-length winner of the race in 2013; and Hollywood Talent and Grand Old Game, separated by a half-length as the one-two finishers in a one-mile allowance for statebreds June 20.

The 5-year-old mare Bound, who has recorded six of her seven wins on dirt, looks like a vulnerable 2-1 morning-line favorite in the Northern Fling for fillies and mares (race 5).

The Penn National-based Bound returns to Presque Isle for the first time since she rallied from 10th to finish third, beaten three-quarters of a length, in last year’s Northern Fling. She was fifth going seven furlongs on dirt in her lone start this season.

The 3-year-old filly Bella Flor (10-1) and the 4-year-old filly Valued Strike (8-1) are among the intriguing longer prices in the nine-horse field.

The locally based Bella Flor is unraced since winning a minor stakes on dirt at Gulfstream Park West last November. But she ran well in a pair of restricted sprint stakes at her home track last September, missing by a nose in one and rallying from sixth to finish a close third in the other.

From a small sampling, trainer Tim Girten has three wins and three seconds from six starters returning from 180 days or more on the sidelines in a route at Presque Isle.

Valued Strike, from the high-profile barn of Graham Motion, won a first-level allowance locally last July going a mile and 70 yards. She won her first start of the season on turf at Laurel Park and then was a troubled fifth while facing Pennsylvania-breds on turf in the Lyphard at Penn National.