15th Track Record Falls in Saturday Night Racing

The speedy River Shark chalked up the 15th track record performance of the season at Vernon Downs with a 1:50.3 mile in Saturday night’s (Sept. 25) $8,000 eighth event.

Third at the quarter, timed in :27.1, River Shark ($4.10) was sent to the front by driver Jack Rice and continued on through splits of :55.2 and 1:22.2 to win the week’s Miracle Mile-2 contest by 3-1/2 lengths and establish a fresh Vernon standard for 4-year-old pacing geldings.

Saturday’s sizzler marked the first Vernon victory, the fifth season’s score and the 13th lifetime tally for the bay son of Four Starzzz Shark-Riverview Diamond, who equaled his lifetime speed mark.

Mark Ford trains the career winner of more than $506,000 for the VIP Internet Stable, El Lobo, LLC and Aaron Waxman.

One race later, Winbak Dimensions ($3.70) became a repeat winner in Vernon’s $11,000 MM-1 class, closing from second in the stretch to post a head decision over Mata Harry.

The 1:53 effort marked the fifth season’s score and 31st lifetime tally for the 7-year-old son of Village Jove-Exact Dimensions, who hiked his career bankroll to more than $510,000.

Defending dash champ Jimmy Whittemore did the teaming for trainer Jim Perry and owners William and Jack Heinz.

Whittemore and Ruel “Dude” Goodblood, Jr. each hung up driving doubles during the 10-race card.

Prior to Saturday’s pari-mutuel program, non-betting divisions in Vernon’s second leg of the C. K. G. Billings Series for amateur drivers of trotters were won by Laura Mac Namara (driving Anahar Charlie) in 1:59.1, and Mitchell Walker (Rush N Supreme) in 1:57.1.

Mac Namara is the owner of Anahar Charlie (trained by John Mc Dermott), while Walker is the owner and trainer of Rush N Supreme.

DOWNS DOINGS—On The Way Again (in 2002) and Golden Receiver (2009) had previously shared the Vernon record for 4-year-old altered pacers…Saturday’s new speed standard marks the 15th record that has been re-written or tied during the track’s 57th season…Vernon will offer live racing Thursday-Saturday next week, first post at 6:55 p.m.