Dry Gulch joined stablemate Scorpion Moon as the fastest performers of the fledgling 58th harness racing season at Vernon Downs following his 1:53.3 victory in Saturday night’s $10,000 Open Pace

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Assigned the outside nine post in event 10 by racing secretary Scott Warren, the favourite Dry Gulch ($3.80) went right to the front at the start and, in a driving rain and over a sloppy track, cut splits of :26 seconds, :55.2 and 1:24.3 en route to a convincing one length tally over Diamond Stick Pin.

As he did here the previous evening behind the Open Trot winner Scorpion Moon (1:54.3), Jack Rice drove for trainer Tracy Brainard. Dry Gulch, who posted a 1:53.1 qualifying victory at Vernon on April 9, gained his fourth score in seven seasonal starts and seventh lifetime tally. The four-year-old gelding, a career winner of over $65,000, is shared in ownership by Brainard and her partner Andrew Herzog (the same owners of Scorpion Moon).

(Vernon Downs)