That's Right will be pressured in Born to Run
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From the perspective of owner James Shannon and trainer Michael Moore, no matter what happens with That’s Right in the $75,000 Born to Run Stakes on Friday night at The Meadowlands, the colt’s 2022 campaign has turned into an unbridled success.
Unable even to win a $40,000 maiden-claimer on dirt, That’s Right, a 3-year-old son of Goldencents, was switched to turf in May and became a different horse. He won a maiden special weight turf sprint at Pimlico, then captured a first-level allowance and the My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park.
That’s Right finally took a step back with a pace-and-fade sixth in the Mahony Stakes at Saratoga, but rebounded Sept. 24 beating older horses in the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing. The one-time maiden claimer has banked more than $300,000 this year.
From the perspective of handicappers, all that good work over the last 4 1/2 months, and the fact That’s Right is one of several potential pace players entered in the five-furlong Born to Run, suggests this could be a vulnerable favorite. The Born to Run, restricted to 3-year-olds, did not come up an especially easy spot, and That’s Right can’t afford to take a step back and win his fifth race from nine 2022 starts.
Task No. 1 for That’s Right is outrunning his main pace rivals, Love Minister and Classicstateofmind – That’s Right is drawn right between those two – and taking a lead: His four wins have come when That’s Right was able to control the pace. Even if That’s Right shrugs off early pressure, Capture the Time could challenge That’s Right during the middle stages, and Determined Kingdom can stalk and pounce his way into win contention.
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Capturethetime comes in from Florida freshened up since July, when his good turf sprint form gave way to a lesser try over the Tapeta surface at Gulfstream Park. He had a fast 46.80 half-mile gate work Oct. 1 at Palm Meadows and could be a horse ready to make a forward move.
Determined Kingdom finished third, three places in front of That’s Right in the Mahony, and he’s likely the main danger. Determined Kingdom, trained by Phil Schoenthal, is 4-0-1 in seven turf-sprint starts, and he comes to the Born to Run a fresher horse than That’s Right, having last raced Sept. 7 at Colonial Downs.
His performance that day in a Virginia-restricted stakes on the surface yielded a disappointing sixth-place finish, but Determined Kingdom got the wrong trip. A horse who has been best racing from midpack found himself in an early, inside pace battle, and Determined Kingdom had no stretch punch. He’s drawn on the far outside Friday night under Trevor McCarthy but will need his very best to post a minor upset.