Sharpshootennorris tied Largent Hall at eight for most trotting triumphs during this 56th season at Vernon Downs with a 1:56.2 outing in the week’s $10,000 Open Handicap test

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Jack Rice did the teaming for trainer/part-owner Tracy Brainard and Gerard Stuchbury as Sharpshootennorris ($6.90) snared the lead away from the favourite, John Pauls Legacy, after a :27.3 opening quarter and led through additional splits of :58.1 and 1:27.2 en route to a neck victory over Unshakeable in the eighth race.

The tight tally was the eighth local score, and 10th this season for the six-year-old son of Earl-Our Royal Gem, who has collected 20 victories and $278,184 during his productive career. He earned his 1:54 record at Canada’s Woodbine Racetrack earlier in the campaign.

The evening’s fastest mile gave defending training champ Brainard a 63-62 edge over Jessica Okusko with nine programs remaining in the track’s 90-card campaign. Okusko’s trotting charge Dusty Diamond (Howard Okusko, Jr. steering for owners Anthony Peters and Mark Vanko) had won the previous race in 1:58.1.

George The Animal forged Friday’s fastest pacing mile, a 1:56.3 come-from-behind victory in the ninth event, with Brian Connor driving for trainer Nicholas Gibides and owner Dorothy Gibides.

(Vernon Downs)