Brookdale Bruiser claimed victory in the $4,400 featured pace at Vernon Downs on Saturday (Aug. 29).

Wind Blast charged to the front and led to the first quarter in :26.4 and continued to push the pace to a :55 half. Brookdale Bruiser sat patiently in the pocket the whole trip as Wind Blast led to three-quarters in 1:22.4.

As they made the turn for home Brookdale Bruiser popped out of the pocket and took control in the stretch. Sofer came charging three wide but Brookdale Bruiser dug in and won in 1:53. Sofer settled for second. Yamaka came charging late to finish third.

Brookdale Bruiser is a six-year-old gelding by Roll With Joe. He is owned by the JP Stables and trained by Brandy Wine. It was his fifth win of 2020 and his 25th victory overall.

John MacDonald leads all drivers with 37 wins. Howard Parker and Leon Bailey are tied for second with 30 trips to the winner’s circle. Jimmy Whittemore (24) and Roman Lopez (12) round out the top five.

The training title remains very tight. George Ducharme and Kerin Warner are tied for the top spot with 13 wins a piece. David Dewhurst, Claude Huckabone III, and Brandy Wine are all just one back with 12 victories each.

Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Friday (Sept. 4) starting at 3:00 p.m. (EDT).

(Vernon Downs)