Presque Isle Masters rematches Caravel vs. Change of Control

Pennsylvania-bred Caravel, a multiple stakes winner in her home state, makes her first appearance there this year in Monday night’s Grade 2, $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters, facing a familiar foe in Change of Control.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this is the first time the Masters has been run since 2019.

The Masters, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for fillies and mares on Presque Isle’s synthetic surface, has been a productive prep for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, as evidenced by subsequent winners and Eclipse Award champions Informed Decision (in 2009 and 2010), Musical Romance (2011), and Groupie Doll (2012 and 2013). Bar of Gold was second in 2017 before going on to win the Filly and Mare Sprint.

It is possible, though, this year’s Masters may turn into a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Caravel started in last year’s BC Turf Sprint at Del Mar, finishing 12th. Change of Control also has previously faced Grade 1 males in turf sprints.

Caravel, a 5-year-old Mizzen Mast mare bred in Pennsylvania by Elizabeth Merryman, won the first three starts of her career in Pennsylvania, including the Lady Erie Stakes at Presque Isle. The following year, she won the Malvern Rose Stakes at Presque Isle.

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In 2021, she hit the national scene, parlaying stakes wins at Pimlico and Monmouth Park into a score in the Grade 3 Caress at Saratoga. She then finished third in the Grade 1 Highlander at Woodbine. Despite finishing off the board in two starts to end that campaign, she sold for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November mixed sale. She now runs for Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel, and Madaket Stables and trainer Brad Cox.

Caravel opened this year by winning the Queen Stakes on Turfway’s Tapeta, then was sixth in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint. She won the Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont Park, but then was last of nine with a troubled trip in the Caress, breaking poorly from the inside post and being boxed in.

Cox considered waiting for the Masters, but elected to run Caravel back in the Smart N Fancy Stakes on Aug. 20 at Saratoga.

The Caress “was one of those that you mark it off,” Cox said. “The trip was brutal, she broke a step slow and she was squeezed into the turn. I decided to talk to the ownership group and thought Presque Isle would make sense. Then I thought, ‘Man, I’ve got over two months.’ She was doing fine and there was no reason to not run her.”

The result was a better trip under Luis Saez – who has the mount again Monday – and a return to the winner’s circle, as Caravel was able to stalk and pounce before holding on for a half-length victory over a rallying Change of Control.

Change of Control was the victim of a troubled trip that day under regular rider Colby Hernandez.

“We got a brutal trip. I thought she ran her heart out despite having trouble. There’s nothing you can do,” trainer Michelle Lovell said. “We were on the inside draw and she looked like she got a little pinched on the backside. Colby kept trying to find a spot for her. She’s got a big heart.”

Change of Control won last year’s Intercontinental at Belmont and Grade 3 Franklin County at Keeneland. This year, her efforts include a creditable fourth behind Casa Creed in the Grade 1 Jaipur at Belmont. She then won the Andy Guest Stakes at Colonial before her trip to Saratoga.

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Boo Boo Kitty and Maggie’s Bid were first and third, respectively, in Presque Isle’s local prep for this race, the Satin and Lace on Aug. 15. That was the stakes debut for Boo Boo Kitty, who posted a noteworthy Beyer Speed Figure of 90. The top two last-out figures in this race belong to Caravel and Change of Control, who recorded a 95 and a 93, respectively, at Saratoga.

The Masters is supported by three undercard stakes on the nine-race card, topped by the $200,000 Presque Isle Mile, which is actually 1 1/16 miles. A horse for the course is Carpenters Call, coming off a win for trainer Gerald Bennett. He faces the veteran campaigner Title Ready, who will be shipping in for Dallas Stewart.

Carpenters Call, graded stakes-placed on Gulfstream Park’s turf earlier this year, has won both his starts this season at Presque Isle. He comes in off a victory in the Peach Street Stakes on Aug. 22.

Title Ready’s most recent win came in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes in January 2021. He is getting class relief after regularly facing divisional standouts. The names in his past performances this year include Life Is Good, Knicks Go, Olympiad, Happy Saver, and Americanrevolution. He has never raced on a synthetic surface, and was second in his only start on turf.

The stakes card is completed by the $75,000 Gem City Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for fillies and mares and the $75,000 Dobbins Landing Stakes for open sprinters. The races have drawn sizable fields of 11 and 12, respectively.