Mocito Rojo trying to stay perfect over the Evangeline main track

The multiple Grade 3 winner Mocito Rojo has never been defeated on the main track at Evangeline Downs and will attempt to remain perfect over the surface Wednesday night in Opelousas, La.

The horse brings a 5 for 5 local dirt record into the fourth race, a conditioned allowance at a mile that carries an optional claiming price of $30,000. Overall, the consistent Mocito Rojo is 6 for 8 at Evangeline. His other local starts, and win, came on turf.

“He’s always run well at Evangeline,” said Shane Wilson, who trains Mocito Rojo for Wayne T. Davis. “They’ve never beat him on the main track. He’s won at six and a half [furlongs], he’s won going seven, won an allowance, and won the Evangeline Mile twice.”

The Evangeline Mile wins came in 2018 and 2019. The race is not being renewed this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the field Wednesday night drew another older runner of that kind of quality in Stephen’s Answer, winner of last year’s $100,000 Delta Downs Mile.

Mocito Rojo is making his first start in the overnight ranks since January 2019. Following the race he won five consecutive stakes, including the Grade 3 Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs and the Grade 3 Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star Park.

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Mocito Rojo comes into Wednesday’s race off a fifth-place finish in the $75,000 Lone Star Mile, which was won on the front end by Hunka Burning Love on June 28. It was Mocito Rojo’s first out since February.

“We’re trying to get him back on track,” Wilson said. “We looked up and the conditions fit and everything. When we went to Dallas the other day, it had been so long since he ran and the track was very speed-favoring. The horses went really, really fast and kept running. Nobody really closed any ground on the turn except him and then he flattened out. We’re hoping it was the speed-biased track and he just needed the race.”

Gerard Melancon has the mount Wednesday from post 3.

“The race looks like it sets up pretty good,” Wilson said. “We’ve got some pace.”

Wilson said the allowance could be Mocito Rojo’s springboard to the Governor’s Cup at Remington Park. He won that race last August.

“Hopefully, he runs well and we’ll go back to Remington for the Governor’s Cup again,” he said. “He’s doing well. We pulled his blood levels. They’re good. His energy is good. Hopefully, we’ll get back on a winning track.”

Stephen’s Answer wired the Delta Downs Mile field last November during a streak of four straight wins at the Vinton, La., track. He comes into Wednesday night’s race off a runner-up finish in a conditioned allowance sprint at Louisiana Downs on July 14. Tim Thornton was aboard and has the mount again for Empire Racing Stables and trainer Robertino Diodoro.

The eighth race Wednesday night features a rematch between Snowball and Saints N Muskets, who finished a respective one-two when separated by a half-length in the $60,000 Louisiana Legends Mademoiselle on July 4 at Evangeline. They go in a conditioned allowance for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares. The six-furlong sprint carries an optional claiming price of $30,000.

◗ Evangeline’s second purse increase of the meet goes into effect Wednesday night. The track has raised purses approximately 30 percent since the season opened, according to a notice sent to horsemen. The latest increase bumps maiden special weight races to $29,000 from $22,000 and maiden special weight offerings for Louisiana-breds to $32,000 from $25,000.