The representatives of Captain Grin were all smiles following the pacer’s 1:53.1 victory in Saturday night’s $7,000 ninth race at Vernon Downs

.

Making only his second appearance at the track, Captain Grin ($5.30) followed up a fast-closing second place finish here last Monday, September 7 with a gritty head verdict over Hobby Art Benka in Saturday’s top pacing test. The five-year-old gelding survived an overland journey to secure his seventh season’s score and equal his career win-mark. William Williams, Jr. and Arnie Marks own the bay son of Grinfromeartoear-Centerfold Hanover.

Captain Grin’s triumph gave driver Roman Lopez a double during the 12-race card, and it accounted for one of four training tallies during the program for defending champ Tracy Brainard, who moved to within three wins of Jessica Okusko’s meet leading conditioning count of 50 first-place finishes. Brainard had also chalked up a quartet of training tallies here on Labour Day afternoon.

Standings leader Jimmy Whittemore produced his ninth local triple of 2009, hiking his win count to 93 after 67 programs, while drivers Chris Lems, currently second in races won at the meet with 78, and Claude Huckabone, Jr. also achieved a pair of Saturday scores.

(Vernon Downs)