On surface, Serious Talk has edge in Tom Ridge

Five of the 12 3-year-olds entered in Monday’s $100,000 Tom Ridge Stakes at Presque Isle Downs come into the six-furlong Tapeta sprint off a stakes victory. But only Serious Talk achieved that success recently and on a synthetic surface.

Serious Talk, 3 for 4 on Polytrack at Woodbine and Turfway Park, may hold an advantage over fellow last-out stakes winners Cyclogenisis, Control Stake, Charlie’s Brother, and Duff in the Tom Ridge, which goes as race 5 at 7:05 p.m. Eastern.

Serious Talk, listed at a generous 5-1 on the track’s morning line, scored a 10-1 upset in the $131,000 Woodstock at Woodbine five weeks ago. He is among four horses who will carry 123 pounds. All the others get nine pounds from the highweights.

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Cyclogenisis is unbeaten in two starts, both on turf, but has been idle since dominating the Laurel Futurity last September.

Control Stake, the 5-2 morning-line favorite on the basis of back-to-back stakes wins at Delta Downs and Charles Town, has raced exclusively on dirt in his seven starts.

Charlie’s Brother won a restricted stakes at Tampa Bay Downs last month. He was a distant second in his only try over a synthetic surface, which came at the Ocala Training Center in January.

Duff has been freshened since taking a restricted stakes on dirt at Parx last November. He did win his maiden and a stakes for Pennsylvania-breds at Presque Isle last summer.

Tom Ridge, race 5

KEY CONTENDERS

Serious Talk (Last 3 Beyers: 88-86-59)

◗ He clearly is fond of synthetic surfaces and ships in from Kentucky for high-percentage trainer Mike Maker, who shows a 7-for-30 record (23 percent) and a $2.17 return on investment with last-out winners on synthetic surfaces following a layoff of 31 to 60 days.

Cyclogenisis (Beyers: 83-77)

◗ He was fast as a 2-year-old, winning his career debut at Saratoga and the Laurel Futurity. Trainer George Weaver is 0 for 5 with first-time synthetic starters returning from 180 days or more on the sidelines.

Charlie’s Brother (Last 3 Beyers: 82-80-57)

◗ Merits respect after winning his last two starts, both going seven furlongs on dirt at Tampa Bay Downs. The fourth-place finisher from his stakes win came back to win a stakes at Gulfstream Park with an 87 Beyer.

◗ Trainer Lynne Scace is 3 for 17 with horses switching from dirt to synthetic following a break of 31 to 60 days, and one of those victories came in a stakes at Presque Isle.

Control Stake (Last 3 Beyers: 89-82-82)

◗ It’s hard to knock his record, with 4 wins and 2 seconds in 7 starts. But he has never raced on anything but dirt, and his sire has produced just one 3-year-old winner on synthetics in 10 starts.

Duff (Last 3 Beyers: 79-50-63)

◗ He was first or second in three of four starts at Presque Isle last year. Should be ready for his first start since November after posting three bullet works during April at Tampa Bay Downs.