Track Record Falls During Sire Stakes at Vernon Downs

The exceptional youngster Fashion Delight turned in the fastest divisional clocking, but Townslight Hanover established a track record during Saturday night’s $135,200 New York Sires Stakes feature for 2-year-old male pacers at Vernon Downs.

Fashion Delight delivered his fourth straight score with a 1:51.4 performance in Saturday’s first race, before Townslight Hanover hustled to a 1:53.1 victory in the third race that chopped a full second off the previous track record for freshman geldings on the lateral gait.

Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam won Saturday’s final NYSS flight after a career-fastest 1:52.1 mile in the fifth event.

Fresh off first-place finishes in the prestigious Niatross and Woodrow Wilson events, respectively, at The Meadowlands, Fashion Delight flashed to the front after the opening quarter and never looked back en route to a half-length triumph, his fourth in six starts.

The bay son of Bettor’s Delight-B J’s Sunshine missed the track’s colt mark by 4/5ths of a second, while hiking his purse winnings to more than $298,000.

David Miller did the catch driving for trainer Jim Miller and the Fashion Farms.

Townslight Hanover, a bay son of Bettor’s Delight-Towner’s Image, took command after the half and then raced on to a nose victory that earned him a fresh speed standard and his second score in seven starts for owner Kenneth Tucci.

Jim Morrill, Jr. drove the winner of $73,552 for trainer Aaron Lambert.

Trainer and part-owner Pat Lachance guided Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam to bold-going 2-1/4-length score that earned the bay son of Art Major-So Far Away four first-place finishes (all in NYSS action) in seven appearances.

He’s now a winner of nearly $94,000 for Lachance and his partners, the Z Tam Stables and Ira Rosenblum.

Elliot Misshula’s Mata Harry became a two-time winner at the meet after a 1:52.1 tally in the $9,000 ninth race, the weekend’s top Miracle Mile pacing event.

Jimmy Whittemore did the steering for trainer Kevin Gould.

Leading driver Josh Marks earned his 11th triple of Vernon’s 63-card campaign during Saturday’s 12-race card, while Whittemore and Jim Morrill, Jr. each posted a pair of first-place finishes.

DOWNS DOINGS—Three Card Monte (1998) and Four Starz Louie (2007) had previously shared the track’s 1:54.1 standard for 2-year-old pacing geldings…Vernon will present live programs at 6:55 Thursday-Saturday nights next weekend…The track’s $200,000 (est.) Credit Winner open trot is slated for next Friday evening (Sept. 17).