OPELOUSAS – Despite entering Saturday’s race as a 10-1 longshot, Mocito Rojo repeated as the Evangeline Mile champion on Saturday night at Evangeline Downs.
Mocito Rojo had won the 2018 race by 1-3/4 lengths but his effort to repeat would be far more difficult. Mocito Rojo withstood the closing charges of both Title Ready and the 7-5 betting favorite, Pioneer Spirit, to win by a nose in a final time of 1:37.30.
Zipzaptime went to the lead right from the beginning and led the way through a quarter-mile of 24.74 seconds and a half of 48.95. He received pressure from a 29-1 longshot, Late Nite Mischief, throughout the early stages, while Pioneer Spirit and Mocito Rojo were in close attendance to the pace.
When the field moved to the far turn, Late Nite Mischief and Mocito Rojo hooked up and dueled into the stretch. They were then joined by Pioneer Spirit and Title Ready inside the final furlong.
Late Nite Mischief began to fade and the three remaining contenders staged a furious finish that resulted in Mocito Rojo winning by a nose over Title Ready, with Pioneer Spirit a neck back in third.
Mocito Rojo returned $5.20 to win, $2.40 to place and $2.10 to show. Title Ready paid $3.00 to place and $2.10 to show with Pioneer Spirit paying $2.10 to show.
Mocito Rojo was bred in Kentucky by Paul and Andrena Van Doren., is owned by Wayne T. Davis and trained by Shane Wilson. The 5-year-old horse is by Mutadda and is out of the Orientate mare, Blushing Royale. The win on Saturday night is the 15th from 23 lifetime starts for Mocito Rojo and the $60,000 first-place purse increases his career earnings to $544,750.
Mocito Rojo has now won all five lifetime starts over the main track at Evangeline Downs and the win on Saturday was his third consecutive stakes victory in 2019.
Live racing at Evangeline Downs will resume on Wednesday night with a nine-race program. Post time on Wednesday will be 5:50 p.m.