Let's Go Higher ships in and wins the Thursday feature

Let's Go Higher impressive in Thursday feature

The pacer Let's Go Higher couldn't have been more elevated than she was in capturing Thursday night's $10,000 featured Open-1 distaff contest at Vernon Downs.

With Shawn T. Gray doing the teaming for trainer Heidi Rohr in Thursday's ninth race, the wagering favorite Let's Go Higher challenged High Speed Life for the lead going to the quarter, took charge before the half and continued on the lead while turning in a career-fastest 1:51.2 triumph and her initial local tally.

Jesse J. De Long owns the 5-year-old daughter of Cole Muffler-Ten Speed who has secured four current wins, 13 lifetime triumphs and earnings of $139,324 during her effective career.

Leading dash-winner Rick Plano and his chief challenger, Roman Lopez, each recorded driving doubles during Thursday's 11-race card.

Driver Justin Huckabone, sitting in for trainer Dan Daley, guided the pacer Daley Deposit Only to a 1:54.2 tally in Thursday's third event, tying fellow provisional driver Josh Kinney at two for top honors in that category. 

DOWNS DOINGS—Defending champ Plano has tallied 64 first-place finishes after 34 programs, while Lopez has logged 52 victories…With trainer Michael Armstrong doing the steering for owner Rachel Burns, the pacer In A Good Place earned his initial career pari-mutual victory with a 1:56 showing in Thursday's 11^th event…Vernon will present a "Diamond Dig" promotion featuring 20 female fans on Friday, and the annual Miss Vernon Downs pageant, plus New York Sires Stakes racing for 3-year-old male trotters on Saturday…  First post each evening will be at 6:45…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.

NYSS Trotters at Vernon

Three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for sophomore colt trotters will compete for total purses of just over $130,000 at Vernon Downs on Saturday night.

 
The first division favorite is the Crazed colt Crazy About Pat, who has been first and second in NYSS races his last two. Noel Daley trains him for Patricia Stable and Cat Manzi is in for the drive.  

EL Rocket is unbeaten in three starts since joining the Ron Burke stable, including an easy 1:55.1 romp in the NYSS at Yonkers. The blood runs blue in this Credit Winner son of Courtney Hall, she the highest priced yearling trotting filly ever sold at auction when she brought a bid of $500,000 in 2003. 

Lightly raced at two, EL Rocket has made steady progress this season and holds Hambletonian hopes for the Burke Stable, M1 Stable, Howard Taylor and Phil Collura. Vernon's top reinsman, Rick Plano has drawn the assignment. 

Tirade Hanover is the oddsmaker's choice in round three. This altered son of Crazed has yet to recover the form he displayed when winning his Empire Breeders Classic elimination last month in 1:53.1 and gets a driver change to Manzi on Saturday. Tyler Raymer trains the career winner of over $200,000 for wife Leigh and her partners, Stephen Moss and H & H Solomon. 

The Sires Stakes are well supported by an undercard that includes five full divisions of Excelsior events. Post time is 6:45 and more info may be gleaned by a visit to the VD website.

VERNON DOWNS TO CROWN 2013 MISS VERNON DOWNS

Annual beauty pageant to award more than $2,500 in prize money on Saturday, July 13

Fillies of a different sort will compete not on the track, but on the runway this weekend at Vernon Downs in the 5^th Annual Miss Vernon Downs Pageant.

The event, free and open to the public, takes place during live harness racing on Saturday, July 13. The first race is at 6:45 p.m. with the pageant to begin shortly after 7:00 p.m.

This year’s field includes at least a dozen women from the local area including Rome, Clinton, Westmoreland, Boonville and Syracuse. The women will compete in three rounds including evening gown, casual wear and swimsuit. More than $2,500 in prize money will be awarded and the title of Miss Vernon Downs 2013.

“We look forward to this pageant every year as another way to provide our fans with an added bit of fun, unique entertainment during a night at the races,” said Justin Horowitz, Regional Racing Marketing Manager for Vernon Downs. “It’s also a great way to support the many talented and beautiful contestants each year, many of whom are in college and can use the prize money to help further their education.”

Local radio host “Genesee Joe” Trisolino from 92.7 The Drive will serve as the pageant’s emcee.

JK Panache posts third sub-1:50 mile in Saturday win

JK Panache cruises in Saturday feature

The swift-striding JK Panache produced his third sub-1:50 mile of the 33-program meeting at Vernon Downs with Saturday night's 1:49.3 Open pace triumph.

JK Panache, who lowered the track's record for 4-year-old pacing geldings to 1:49.1 on June 22, and also posted a local victory in 1:49.3 on June 9, raced like he was the best, and proved it with a front-ending 1:49.3 triumph in Saturday's $10,000 ninth race.

Saturday's two-length tally over the wagering favorite, Northern Companion, resulted in the fifth current win and 13th lifetime tally for the bay son of Art Major-Paris Hanover.  Jimmy Whittemore did the teaming for trainer Dave Dewhurst, who owns the career-winner of $135,486 along with Philip K. Hale.

Former Vernon driving champ Whittemore went on to capture Saturday's final race with Majestic Splash and record his fifth double of the track's 60^th season.

Current top reinsman Rick Plano picked up three first-place finishes during the 12-race card, while drivers Roman Lopez and Brian Connor each earned two trips to Vernon's winner’s circle. 

DOWNS DOINGS—Plano's triple tied him at seven with Lopez for top honors in that category…Saturday's speed derby also produced a 1:50.3 performance by Stonebridge Bonus and 1:50.4 clockings by Yankees In Six and newcomer Oh My Joepa…The pacer Stonebridge Bonus was claimed for $10,000 after Saturday's seventh session by local owner Mitchell Frair…The largest claim at the meet to date  is $15,000, for the trotter Oaklea Tyson on June 8…Vernon will offer live racing at 6:45 Thursday-Saturday next week…There will be a "Change Your Luck/Dollar Night" promotion on Thursday, a "Diamond Dig" event for 20 female fans on Friday and the annual Miss Vernon Downs pageant, plus New York Sires Stakes racing 3-year-old male trotters on Saturday…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.

For You Almostfree Sets a new track record on Friday night

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 12^th lifetime tally.

The explosive finish by the 5-year-old brown son of Glidemaster-Pizza Dolce trimmed 1/5^th-of-a-second off the former Vernon standard for aged trotting horses, set by Spring Goal back on May 10^th, 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 12^th 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.

Artic Byrd wins Independence Day feature

Artic Byrd wins the Fourth of July feature

Artic Byrd continued her high-flying ways with a 1:52.1 come-from-behind victory in the featured event during Thursday's special July 4^th -matinee program at Vernon Downs.

Competing in the 10^th race, the week's $8,000 Open-2 contest for female pacers, the energetic Artic Byrd idled in fourth place as Abbey Road Hanover hustled to a :56-second half.  The 5-year-old roan mare rallied from fifth in the final quarter and flew home from third in the stretch to equal her lifetime speed-mark with a ¾-length score over the mile-cutter.  The favorite Little Santamonica finished third.

It was the fourth tally in 13 season's starts and the 12^th lifetime score for the much-improved daughter of Art Major-Tundra Byrd, who is shared in ownership by Donn Lewandrowski and Gail Farrell.

Artic Byrd's fast-closing (:27.4 final quarter) triumph was the third of the afternoon for driver Truman Gale and the second for trainer Jocelyn Lavigne, who was enjoying her birthday.

Chris Lems also logged a driving triple during Thursday's 11-race card, while John MacDonald captured two of the program's first three races, and trainer Edgar Clarke was credited with first-place finishes in events three and eight.  

DOWNS DOINGS—Thursday's fastest mile was a career-best 1:52 clocking by Dennis Goyette's veteran pacing mare Lover's Delight (MacDonald driving for conditioner Clarke) in the day's third event…The GLY Stable's sophomore pacer Hickory Again and Blush And Crush, a 3-year-old trotter shared by Theodore Gewertz, Jean Brunet and Deborah Brunet, each earned their initial pari-mutuel victories during the track's 31^st program of 2013…Friday's "Back To The Track Weekend" 10-race program will commence at 6:45 p.m. and include a T-shirt giveaway, many other promotions and a Fireworks spectacular show at the end of live racing…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.