Helios stars in round 2 of Late Bloomer Series

Helios, Celebrity Obsession and Miss Eva Cash were repeat winners in the $36,000 second round of the Late Bloomer Series for three and 4-year-old trotters, while Spring Goal captured the evening's $8,500 Junior Open trot, and leading driver Rich Plano posted five wins during Friday's 13-race program at Vernon Downs.

Helios, owned by the Little E, LLC stable, remained unbeaten after three career starts following Friday's 1:56.1 lifetime-best triumph for driver Chris Lems and trainer Jessica Okusko in the second (race four) of six $6,000 Late Bloomer divisions, while Celebrity Obsesion earned a 1:56.2 victory in the final flight (race 12), with Plano doing the teaming for trainer Susanne Strandqvist and owner Sam Stathis, and Miss Eva Cash claiming a career-best 1:57 tally, with John Stark, Jr. doing the steering for trainer Sam Schillaci and the Second Chance Stable in the night's 10^th event.

Friday's other first-place finishers in Late Bloomer competition were Pollux Blue Chip (1:56.1) in race two, Mystical Muscles (1:56.2) in event six, and Getinonthesecret (1:56.4) in the eighth attraction.

Spring Goal wins Friday's Jr. Open feature

With Plano doing the piloting, Spring Goal closed with a flurry to gain a neck decision over newcomer Winning Fireworks in Friday's ninth contest.  Owned by Maryann Plano, Rick's wife, the 4-year-old son of Yankee Glide-Maragoal Miss maneuvered up from fifth at the half to second entering the payoff patch and then rallied to overtake the pace-setting favorite, A Penny Earned (who ended up third) and the on-rushing runner-up.  It was the fifth season's score (second at the Downs) and ninth all-time victory for the career-earner of $143,797.

Having attained five wins on a single Vernon program for the second time in 2012, Plano increased his local win count to 128 and his training tally to 67, thus gaining a one win lead over defending conditioning champ Tracy Brainard.

Also snaring multiple wins during the track's 78^th program were drivers Lems (two victories), Claude Huckabone, III (two), Dan Daley (two), plus a pair of conditioning credits, and trainer Okusko (two).

DOWNS DOINGS—Saturday's 13-race line-up, which includes an $11,000 Open pace in race one, will begin at 6:55 p.m., and include a pumpkin giveaway, plus cider and donuts for all patrons attending (while supplies last)…Including Saturday's card, just 12 live programs remain during Vernon's 59^th season that continues through Nov. 3…Additional information regarding Vernon Downs, its casino, hotel, racing and promotional events can be obtained at www.vernondowns.com.