Dry Gulch Tops Sloppy Night at Vernon Downs

Dry Gulch joined stable mate Scorpion Moon as the fastest performers of the fledgling 58th harness racing season at Vernon Downs following his 1:53.3 victory in Saturday night's (April 16) $10,000 Open pace.

Assigned the outside nine post in event 10 by racing secretary Scott Warren, the favorite Dry Gulch ($3.80) went right to the front at the start and, in a driving rain and over a sloppy track, cut splits of :26 seconds, :55.2 and 1:24.3 en route to a convincing one length tally over Diamond Stick Pin.

As he did here the previous evening behind the Open trot winner Scorpion Moon (1:54.3), Jack Rice drove for trainer Tracy Brainard as Dry Gulch gained his fourth score in seven season's starts and seventh lifetime tally.

The 4-year-old gelding, a career winner of $65,783, is shared in ownership by Brainard and her partner Andrew Herzog (the same owners as of Scorpion Moon).

DOWNS DOINGS - Dry Gulch had posted a 1:53.1 qualifying victory here on April 9... Drivers Jimmy Whittemore, Chris Lems and trainer Lonny Hale each secured a pair of first-place finishes during Vernon's second night of pari-mutuel competition... Despite the inclement conditions, three of the evening's 12 winners earned new win records... The Downs will offer live harness racing at 7 p.m. next Friday and Saturday.