Daley's Interest Steps Up in Monday's Feature

The still-improving Daley’s Interest continued his rise in the Miracle Mile pacing ranks with a career-best 1:53.1 victory in Monday afternoon’s special 11-race program at Vernon Downs.

Trainer Dan Daley was at the controls in Monday’s sixth race as Daley’s Interest powered three wide around the final turn, and then zipped home (final quarter :27.2) from fourth at the head of the lane to defeat the on-rushing Touch Of The Past by a neck in division two of the weekly MM class for top flight representatives of the lateral gait.

While trimming a full second off his previous win-mark, the 3-year-old homebred son of Modern Art-Sassy Cessiann earned his second straight score (he won the MM-3 contest here on July 5) and his fourth all-time for breeder Ann-Mari Daley and her partners Richard Lombardo and Jared Daley.

The career-winner of more than $27,000 paid $44.80 to win, $11.20 to place and $3.80 to show.

Fastest mile-of-the-day honors went to Lewis Rosselli, Jr.’s pacer Miracle Freeluck, who recorded his third win at the meet after a 1:52.2 mile for driver Brian Connor and trainer Brandon Loomis in race 10, the day’s MM-3 contest.

Former Vernon provisional driving champ Chris Lems, who ranks third in the track’s current standing with 33 victories, collected his second hat-trick at the meet after finishing first with the pacers Quick Step (1:56.3), Dot’s Bigboy (1:54.3) and Onedayatatime (1:54).

DOWNS DOINGS—Monday’s 11-race matinee was a make-up program for last Thursday (July 8), the night of the Joan Jett concert here…This week, Vernon reverts to its regular Thursday-Saturday slate, with first post at 6:55 each evening.