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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.
Seducedbychocolate, Manofmanymissions and Winning Mister all produced track record performances during Friday night’s (Sept. 24) 12-race program at Vernon Downs.
Seducedbychocolate’s 1:56.4 record for 2-year-old filly trotters came in the $134,000 final of the Kindergarten Classic Series, Manofmanymissions rewrote the colt mark for freshman high-steppers with his 1:55.2 triumph in the $162,500 KCS male clash, while Winning Mister authored a 1:54 standard for 4-year-old trotting horses with his win in the week’s Miracle Mile-1 contest.
Seducedbychocolate ($14.40) took charge of the ninth race after the opening quarter and trotted on to a two-length tally over Sacred Saint.
David Miller drove for trainer Jonas Czernyson as the bay daughter of Chocolatier-Seducer Hall turned in a career-best mile, improved her summary line to 3-3-2 after nine trips to the track and her earnings to nearly $100,000 for the Maximum Force, Inc.
It was her second local series score.
Manofmanymissions ($2.70) also lowered his personal speed badge and secured his second series win in Friday’s 10th test.
The bay son of Yankee Glide-Armbro Vanquish trotted on or near the lead throughout, winning by five lengths over Whit.
Andy Miller did the teaming for trainer Erv Miller.
John Carver, M Biasuzzi Stable and Mystical Marker Farms own the winner of $86,750.
Former Downs driving champion Brian Sears did the steering for veteran Vernon trainer Ray Van Dreason as Winning Mister ($4.50) turned a pocket trip into a head victory over Airzoom Lindy in Friday’s top Miracle Mile trotting match-up.
The time trimmed three-fifths of a second off his record and one tick of the timer off the previous mark for his age, sex and gait, set by Airzoom Lindy back on July 23.
Robert J. Key owns the homebred black son of Angus Hall-Winning Missbrenda, who has earned nearly $385,000 during his productive career.
Divisions of Friday’s $53,100 New York-bred late-closer for 3-year-old filly trotters were won by Platinumatic, in 1:55.4 for the Purple Haze Stables; South Jersey Honey, in 1:56 for owner, trainer and driver Steve Reisenweaver; Jetties, in 1:56.1 for owner Roy Dobbins, and L Dee’s Maggie, in 1:56.3 for owners Lawrence Dumain and Carlo Lattinelli.
Celebrity Obsesions 1:57.4 performance in Friday’s $10,000 KCS consolation contest (race eight) for frosh fillies on the diagonal gait was just four-fifth of a second off the then track standard for her class, while Highscore Kemp’s 1:53.4 tally in race 11 (Miracle Mile-2) missed the track mark for 4-year-old trotting mares by just four-fifths of a second.
Tim Tetrick turned in a driving triple for the third time at the meet, while Sears, Howard Okusko, Jr. and trainer Jessica Okusko were each credited with two wins during the track’s 68th program.
DOWNS DOINGS—Vernon’s 1:57 previous 2-year-old filly trotting mark (Some Girls) and its 1:55.3 former colt trotting standard (Dejarmbro) were both established earlier in the meet…Saturday’s 10-race pari-mutuel program, which features the week’s top Miracle Mile pace, begins at 6:55 p.m. Non-betting divisions in the C.K.G. Series for amateur drivers of trotters will be held prior to the program, one at 6:10 p.m. and the other at 6:20 p.m.
The sensational Lucky Jim produced the fastest trotting mile in the 57-year history of Vernon Downs while winning the 4th-annual Credit Winner Open in 1:52 on Friday night.
Competing against six swift rivals in the $195,000 eighth event, Lucky Jim ($4.90) rallied three wide off the final bend and came a last quarter in :27.4 to earn a one length victory over track record-holder Buck I St Pat (1:54.3 for aged mares).
Hot Shot Blue Chip was another half-length back in third.
Friday’s thrilling effort resulted in the 24th lifetime score for the 6-year-old gelded son of S J’s Photo-Hawaiian Sierra, who improved his season’s slate to 5-4-0 after 11 appearances.
Andy Miller drove the career winner of $1.5 million for trainer Julie Miller and owners David and John Prushnok and William Gregg.
Lucky Jim’s clocking clipped one-fifth of a second off the previous all-time Vernon trotting standard, set by the older gelding Vivid Photo while winning this same event in 2007.
The gifted Frosty Flirt improved her season’s summary line to 10-1-1 after 14 starts with a personal best 1:55.1 triumph in a division of Friday’s $149,416 New York Sires Stakes contest for 3-year-old trotting fillies.
David Miller did the teaming for owner and trainer Tracy Brainard.
Friday’s other NYSS divisional winners were Wolf’s Jann (Tetrick driving for trainer Jeffrey Morris and the Leo Wolf & Son stable) in 1:56.2, Tuesdays With Mom (Claude Huckabone, Jr. steering for owner and trainer Peter Arrigenna) in 1:55.2 and Viva Las Lindy (Tetrick sitting in for trainer Frank Antonacci and the Adam Victor & Son stable) in 1:57.1.
Swan In A Million (Andy Miller handling the lines for trainer Erv Miller and the Diamond Creek Farm, Mary Jane Anderson, Mystical Marker Farm and John Carver ownership contingent) remained unbeaten after three starts with a 1:57.4 tally in a male division of Friday’s $40,000 Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-olds on the diagonal gait.
The other colt/gelding clash was won in 1:58.4 by Evil Urges (trainer Homer Hochstetler driving for Connie Hochstetler and Robert Buddig), who also secured his third season’s score.
The female Kindergarten Classic flights were captured by Taya’s Photo (Andy Miller teaming for trainer Erv Miller, Peggy C. Hood and the Mystical Marker Farm) in 2:00, and Hot Off The Press (part-owner Jacqueline Ingrassia piloting for trainer Frank Ingrassia and her fellow owners Martha Brown and the Arden Homestead Stable) in 1:57.4.
Tetrick, Andy Miller and Brainard each posted three wins during the track’s 65th program.
DOWNS DOINGS—Lucky Jim’s record for aged trotting geldings marks the 11th track standard that has been broken or tied during the 2010 meeting…Saturday’s 12-race all pacing line-up that includes six Miracle Mile clashes, will begin at 6:55 p.m.
Yursa Hanover’s upset of champion Buck I St Pat in the Conway Hall Trot plus closing night festivities and the Top 5 Races of the Year highlight the season finale of the “Inside Harness Racing” television show. The 30-minute episode debuts on Time Warner Cable Sports throughout New York tonight at 6:00 PM and is also available online at the Tioga Downs YouTube site (www.youtube.com/tiogadowns).
This week’s episode also includes an all-access look inside the starting gate and a feature on a Tioga Downs farrier. Plus, leading driver Jim Marohn, Junior flips the script and interviews Jason Settlemoir about his career in track management. Also, see as some of Upstate New York’s biggest stars are inducted into the Upstate New York Harness Racing Hall of fame as the inaugural class.
“Inside Harness Racing” debuted on June 23rd and aired each Wednesday at 6:00 PM throughout the live racing season. Every episode is archived on YouTube. “Inside Harness Racing” is hosted and produced by Justin Horowitz and features Jason Settlemoir and Wendy Ross as field reporters while Jim Rotundo handles videography and production.
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).
