Presque Isle: Fast Tip ready to run after illness

Fast Tip makes her return to the races after a two-month layoff on Tuesday evening in a third-level allowance event at Presque Isle Downs. Ten older fillies and mares will contest the one-mile event.

Trained by Bret Calhoun, Fast Tip has not run since July 13 in the Indiana Distaff at Indiana Downs. In that one-mile turf event she finished a dismal eighth when sent off as part of a 5-2 entry. Calhoun said that race was a throw-out for his charge.

"We scoped her after the race, and she had a bad lung infection, we gave her plenty of time to come back, and it has worked out well for us," he said.

Fast Tip won her maiden race on the turf Jan. 11 at Fair Grounds. The 3-year-old filly won her next out in an allowance event on the main track at Fair Grounds on March 26. Calhoun then took Fast Tip to Keeneland, where she finished seventh, beaten 3 1/2 lengths, in the Grade 3 Translyvania on April 21. On June 4, she won the Panthers at Prairie Meadows by nearly five lengths, her last race before the Indiana Distaff.

"We always spaced her races pretty far apart, because she was a lighter, smaller type filly," Calhoun said.

The layoff has done a world of good, according to her trainer.

"She has really put on a lot of weight and filled out physically, she has really matured since her last race," Calhoun said.

Harry Vega will ride for the first time.

Seeking Sheba comes into the race off a local win for trainer Dallas Stewart. The 4-year-old Seeking the Gold filly was impressive in her only local outing Aug. 20 going 1 1/16 miles. Her come-from-behind style should suit her well in a race filled with early speed. All three of her lifetime victories have been on synthetic surfaces. Pablo Morales will ride.

Graham Motion sends out Smart Seattle off a victory as well. The 4-year-old Smart Strike filly won July 4 at Parx Racing in an allowance turf event going a mile. It was only the second start of the year for Smart Seattle. All three of her victories have come on the turf, but she has been in the money in 3 of 4 synthetic starts. Eddie Castro ships in to ride and retains the mount.