On Tuesday, August 1, for the second time in three nights, a track record for an odd-distanced race at The Downs at Mohegan Sun was broken, as Mr Right showed rare courage to come back in the stretch and win a $13,500 contest at 1-1/4 miles on the trot in 2:29, shaving two-fifths of a second off the previous local standard set by Sweet Talkin Guy in 1992.
Keegan Ho got the lead off the first turn in this four-turn event and put down a pair of 30-second quarters to open the contest, with Tom Jackson sending Mr Right uncovered just before the half-mile point. Mr Right went to challenge the leader, with pocket sitter Hot Summer Knight keeping up tight, and after the three-quarter pole was reached in 1:29.1 those three pulled away to fight over the last half-mile.
Keegan Ho hit the mile in 1:57.4, and in going sharp quarters in the third and fourth stanzas it looked like he had disposed of the challenge of Mr Right, who dropped back some coming off the final turn, with potential pocket rocket Hot Summer Knight looming the major danger. Hot Summer Knight did make the lead in the stretch but could not sustain it, as Mr Right found a bit more than his rivals and crossed the wire a neck to the good, with Keegan Ho reclaiming second by a nose.
The victorious son of Donato Hanover, trained and owned by Tate Lewis, Jr. and a winner of $157,035, took a mark of 1:54.1 at The Downs earlier this year – uncovered – and Tuesday’s race showed his speed is complemented by gameness after coming back to catch not one but two rivals who had had a stretch lead before him.
Top pacing event was a $16,500 conditioned pace for mares, where the Shadow Play mare Tessa Seelster went to the lead past a 26.2 quarter, then posted middle splits of 55 and 1:22.2 en route to a 1:50.3 victory.
Tessa Seelster, the 7-5 second choice to 4-5 chalk Marlee B, defeated that pocket sitting rival by 3-1/2 lengths for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Ron Burke, and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Jonathan Newman while raising her lifetime tally to $474,253.
The hottest hands of the night belonged to Andrew McCarthy, who constructed a five-win performance on the card.
(PHHA/Pocono)