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| For You Almostfree sets a new track record |
The
favorite For You Almostfree displayed his superiority with not only a
career-best 1:53 performance, but also a track record mile for aged trotting
horses on Friday night at Vernon Downs.
Competing
in the rain and over a track rated "good" in Friday's ninth race, For You
Almostfree lagged behind in third to the half (timed in :55.1), before
accelerating to second as the field of five Open-1 trotters entered the stretch
drive. With Greg Merton doing the
catch-driving for trainer John Mc Dermott, the nifty newcomer powered through
the final quarter to catch and pass the mile-cutter, A Penny Earned, who
finished third, and then hold off a late brush by Spring Goal to earn his
fourth current victory and his 12th lifetime tally.
The explosive
finish by the 5-year-old brown son of Glidemaster-Pizza Dolce trimmed 1/5th-of-a-second
off the former Vernon standard for aged trotting horses, set by Spring Goal
back on May 10th, and it lowered his previous-best win mark by three
full seconds. It also represents the
fastest mile by a representative of the diagonal gait at the 32-program
meeting. The lifetime earner of nearly $267,000 is shared in ownership by the
J.E.T Dream Stable, Robert Pucila, Michael Cohen and the Jonathan Klee Racing
contingent.
It was
one of three tallies during Friday's 10-race card for Merton, an occasional
driver at the track.
Vernon's
leading driver and trainer Rick Plano posted a pair of first-place finishes,
including a 1:54.3 victory behind his trotter She's All In during Friday's
$8,000 Open-2 contest, while the track's third-leading reinsman, Chris Lems,
secured his fifth score of the weekend, and his meet-leading 12th
driving double.
DOWNS DOINGS—After 32 current programs, Plano leads in races won with
59 and training tallies with 26…Jocelyn Lavigne earned her third training
credit of the weekend and moved into second place on the track's conditioning
chart with 22 wins…Back To The Track weekend continues on Saturday at the
Downs, featuring a Breakfast With The Pros promotion in the Vernon Downs
hotel's Mr. G's restaurant at 10 a.m., followed by qualifying races at 11 a.
m., plus a 12-race pari-mutuel program at 6:45 p.m. Other events include a handicapping contest,
$1 programs and food items, plus rides in the starting gate and free photos in
the Winner's Circle…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.
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