Right Touch rattled off a sharp, front end effort in the featured event, the final $30,000 Indiana Gold Sire Stakes preliminary leg for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Wednesday.
With driver-trainer Ray Paver at the lines, Right Touch was able to upset the heavy favourite, Night Pro, to score his fourth win of the season in 1:52.
In an abbreviated field of five, Paver left no room for error as he sent Right Touch off the gate alertly to grab the first call in a leisurely :28. Nitro and Ricky Macomber Jr. benefited from a pocket trip while Sweet Talkin Satin and Trace Tetrick followed intently in third. Night Pro and Pete Wrenn opted for an uncharacteristic trip off the pace and were fifth along the rail as the field approached the second station in :57.3.
Right Touch continued to call the shots through the three-quarter clocking in 1:25.2 before feeling a threat on the outside from Sweet Talkin Satin, who was in hot pursuit first over. As the field turned for home, it was an all-out sprint for the wire. Right Touch appeared to have saved his best for last as he powered home in :26.3 to win by two lengths. Sweet Talkin Satin battled gamely to finish second while Night Pro found himself with too much ground to make up on the end of the mile and had to settle for a third-place finish.
Right Touch returned $11.40 to his backers at the window for the victory.
Sired by Always A Virgin, Right Touch has now won four of 11 outings while amassing over $130,000 this season. An Indiana Sire Stakes champion at two, Right Touch has now won nine of 21 lifetime outings while bankrolling over $350,000 for his connections of Knox Services, Ray Paver, and John Rhoads.
Right Touch will be aimed at the $200,000 Indiana Gold Sire Stakes final for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings slated for September 11 at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.
Hoosier Park will highlight the 2013 Standardbred season on Wednesday, September 11 with Indiana’s finest trotters and pacers convening on Hoosier Park’s seven-eighths mile oval for the annual Hoosier Champions Night, an evening with purse totals topping the $1.1 million mark. This action-packed Wednesday night of racing will feature the $200,000 Indiana Sire Stakes finals for the two and three-year-old events. The first race will line up behind the starting gate at 5:30 p.m.
(Hoosier Park)