The Mach Three mare Monica Gallagher, who was away from the races for three months in spring and early summer, has worked her way back to top form as she showed on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono by winning the $17,500 featured distaff pace, her first visit to Victory Lane since April 26.
Matt Kakaley got Monica Gallagher away quickly, making the lead after the quick :26.2 opener on a "good" track, then yielded for the pocket to race-favourite Skippin By near the :55.2 half. Truth And Liberty, second-over past three-quarters in 1:22.4, made it a three-horse chase to the finish but Monica Gallagher had the most late to win in 1:51.3 by a head with Truth And Liberty in second and Skippin By third.
Monica Gallagher has compiled $124,631 in earnings through her brief career, which includes seven wins from 16 starts this year in 12 from 32 overall. Ron Burke conditions the four-year-old for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
Earlier, some confusion around the far turn led to a longshot bonanza. Lounatic, the 3-1 third choice, pulled the pocket from behind pacesetting Michelles Pride late in the backstretch but then went erratic around the far turn. She first squeezed Actress Hanover inside, then, while trying to correct, bore out into the path of the second- and third-over, Linda Lace Hanover (8-5 favourite) and Under The Hood (9-5) respectively, shoving them wide and effectively taking them out of contention.
Actress Hanover, at 69-1, went into the pocket and then through the passing lane and charged to the lead – returning a $140.20 win mutuel. Pacesetting Michelles Pride was 42-1 and was just edged for second by an unaffected horse, Typhoon at 10-1, resulting in $2 payoffs of $1,219.20 for the 4-7 exacta, $2,111.40 for a 4-7-ALL trifecta, and a 4-7-ALL-ALL Superfecta of $18,281.60 – on which there were two 10-cent ticket holders.
(With files from the PHHA)