The Best proved superior in the week’s $9,000 Open Handicap Pace, while Todd Whitney was the prime performer in Saturday night’s C. K. G. Billing Series leg for amateur drivers of trotters at Vernon Downs

.

Fresh from a 1:50.4 triumph in Vernon’s top overnight pacing class on August 22, The Best ($12.40) and driver Bill Bailey raced like they were unequaled in Saturday’s sixth session, leading from start to finish and defeating Western Tsunami by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.3 over a track labeled “good.”

Saturday’s gritty effort was the third season’s score and 22nd lifetime for the five-year-old son of Pro Bono Best-Guerilla Girl. Lonny Hale trains the career-winner of $256,841 for owner Rocco Manzi.

Hale, a multiple former Downs training champ also harnessed the winners Stettin Hanover (1:54.1) and the Manzi-owned Kingsandqueens (1:52.1) during Saturday’s 10-race program.

Competing as the favourite in Saturday’s $5,000 fourth event, Whitney and his charge, Mr Troy, made a quick getaway on a track then rated “sloppy,” and never looked back en route to a 3-1/2-length decision over Cross Creek Whiz, steered by area horseman Vladimir Melnichenko, and eight other hopefuls. The 1:58.1 performance marked the second season’s score for the seven-year-old son of Lindy Lane-Deanna Troy, who Whitney trains for owner Arjun Dyapa.

Eric Taddeo, who led the East Region with 80 points entering the evening, finished third with Highmaker.

Top dash-winning reinsman Jimmy Whittemore finished first with the pacers Stettin Hanover, Wild West Grin (1:54.4) and Kingsandqueens to record his seventh triple of the meet and increase his win total to 82 through 61 programs.

(Vernon Downs)