Reagan's Flame plays to her all-weather-surface racing strength in battling eight other female sprinters in the $300,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2) the evening of Sept. 18.
The 5-year-old Flameaway mare is 3-0-1 in four starts on Tapeta, an all-weather surface, when racing this year at Gulfstream Park and Woodbine. Now, she tests the surface over 6 1/2 furlongs at Presque Isle Downs, which conducts all of its racing on Tapeta.
Edgard Zayas, aboard for a last-out win in the Aug. 22 Seaway Stakes (G3) at Woodbine, returns in the irons. She had earlier won the Whimsical Stakes (G3) there in May under Sahin Civaci. She is 8-5-2 in 23 overall starts.
Video: Seaway S. (G3)
Saffie Joseph Jr. trains her for owners St. Elias Stable, BAG Racing Stables, Turf Express Racing, and Watkins Diamond Stables.
Besides starting Reagan's Flame, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, Joseph has a second entry in stakes-winning Paradise City, the 9-2 fourth choice in the race. The daughter of McKinzie has never raced on Tapeta, but drops in class after a fifth-place finish in the Aug. 29 Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Further contenders include Pondering and Les Reys, both of whom won graded stakes on Tapeta last year at Woodbine.
Friday's card at Presque Isle includes four other stakes, which precede the Masters, the ninth race on the 10-race card. Bossy Wossy and Frost Rocket top the 6 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Fitz Dixon Jr. Memorial Juvenile Stakes, the seventh race, and Encino is the headliner in the 1 1/16-mile, $150,000 Presque Isle Mile Stakes for 3-year-olds and up a race later. Earlier on the card, Royal Companion is favored in the $100,000, 6 1/2-furlong Presque Isle Downs Debutante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, while John Dutton is the 9-5 morning-line choice in the $75,000, 6 1/2-furlong Power by Far Stakes for state-breds 3 and up.
Presque Isle Downs, Friday, September 18, 2026, Race 9Entries: Presque Isle Downs Masters S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Sea Runner (KY) Antonio A. Gallardo 119 William E. Morey 12/1 2 2Les Reys (FR) Axel Concepcion 119 Miguel Clement 4/1 3 3Paradise City (KY) Micah J. Husbands 123 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 9/2 4 4Paris Carver (KY) Paco Lopez 115 Jorge Delgado 15/1 5 5Reagan's Flame (KY) Edgard J. Zayas 126 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 8/5 6 6Pondering (KY) Pietro Moran 119 Brendan P. Walsh 3/1 7 7Mitole Magic (KY) Gaddiel A. Martinez 119 Randall R. Russell 8/1 8 8Lovely Emma (KY) Israel O. Rodriguez 123 Peter Eurton 6/1 9 9Jill Jitterbug (KY) Taylor Kingsley 119 Ryan D. Walsh 15/1
