Informed Decision retains Presque Isle Masters crown

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Erie, PA (Sports Network) - Eclipse Award winner Informed Decision successfully retained her title with a second straight victory in Saturday's $400,000 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes for fillies and mares.

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, Informed Decision went from last to first in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint at Presque Isle Downs. The five-year-old mare again had Julien Leparoux in the saddle for trainer Jonathan Sheppard and owner Augustin Stable.

Setting the pace was Dr. Zic closely followed by Mother Russia, Peristaltica, and Old Time Religion. Dr. Zic still had the lead as the field entered the final turn. Gaining around the turn were Don'ttalktome and Waccamaw.

Informed Decision began her rally around the turn for home, but was very wide entering the stretch. Also gaining down the middle of the stretch was Dubai Majesty and Sweet Lorena.

Sweet Lorena had the lead for a short time down the stretch until she was overtaken by Informed Decision and Dubai Majesty. Informed Decision and Dubai Majesty were even only yards before the wire.

The favorite finished a head in front of Dubai Majesty with Sweet Lorena finishing third just a neck behind the runner-up.

Rounding out the order of finish was Waccamaw, Red Hot Buddha, Dr. Zic, Old Time Religion, Denali Glitter, Don'ttalktome, Mother Russia and Peristaltica. Blackwell was scratched Saturday morning to bring the field down to 11 females.

The time for the Masters Stakes was 1:15.62 on Presque Isle's synthetic track.

Saturday's win was worth $240,000 to push the winner's career earnings over $2 million. Informed Decision, 2009 champion female sprinter, has won 14 of 20 lifetime starts for $2.2 million.

Last year the daughter of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos won the stakes by 2 1/2-lengths, seven weeks before claiming the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Santa Anita.

This year Informed Decision has won three of six starts and was coming off a sixth-place result as the favorite in Saratoga's Ballerina Stakes.

"When watching the race (Ballerina), you could see that Informed Decision didn't like the footing," noted Barry Wiseman, the assistant to trainer Jonathan Sheppard.

On July 4, the mare won the Chicago Handicap at Arlington Park and on July 27, she was a wire-to-wire winner of the Windward Stakes at Presque Isle. Her first two starts this year were third-place finishes in the Madison at Keeneland and Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs.

Informed Decision returned $3.20, $2.60 and $2.20. Dubai Majesty paid $3.60 and $3.00, and Sweet Lorena paid $5.20 for third.