Client Nine is number one on Friday night

Client Nine made fast work of six skilled trotting rivals with a career-best 1:54.4 victory in Friday night's $8,000 featured ninth race at Vernon Downs.

An outside choice in the week's Open-2 contest, Client Nine when right to the lead from the word "go" and laid down splits of :27, :56 and 1:25.1 en route to a one length victory over the pocket-sitting Glorious Winner. The gritty 5-year-old gelding rewarded his backers with a $26.00 win payoff.

Although it was the first local tally this term, it marked the fifth season's score and the 11^th all-time triumph for the bay son of Yankee Glide-Gillie, who is owned by trainer Dave Dewhurst and Philip K. Hale.

Client Nine's first-place finish was one of four during Friday's 12-race card by Chris Lems, who became one of only four reinsmen to have accumulated four victories on a single program at the 35-program meeting.  The 26-year-old horseman currently ranks third on the track's dashes-won chart with 48 victories.

Other multiple winners during Friday's card were trainer and driver Gates Brunet, driver Truman Gale, trainer Howard Okusko, Sr. and owners Theodore Gewertz, Jean Brunet and Deborah Brunet, each with two tallies.  

DOWNS DOINGS—Lems is the meet's leader in driving doubles with 12…Drivers Rick Plano and Roman Lopez are the only horsemen to have won five races during a single program at the Downs thus far this season…Saturday night's 13-race card will begin at 6:45 and feature the 2013 Miss Vernon Downs pageant during live racing, plus three New York Sires Stakes segments and five Excelsior series races for 3-year-old male trotters…A revised 2013 racing and stakes calendar, as well as additional information regarding Vernon Downs, its casino, hotel, racing and promotional events can be obtained at www.vernondowns.com.