The Saratoga ship-in Russ N Us finished like a whirlwind to capture Friday night’s $10,000 featured Open-1 Handicap Trot at Vernon Downs

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Saving ground along the inside in fourth while Howd That Feel and, later, favourite Scorpion Moon, took turns cutting out the mile, Russ N Us ($16.60) exploited a gap in the pylon path entering the homestretch and closed like a gate in the wind to defeat the on-coming Unshakeable by three and a half lengths lengths in the week’s Open-1 trotting contest.

The 1:54.4 performance stands as one of the fastest of Vernon’s 20-card campaign, and it serves as a career-best win-mark for the five-year-old son of Like A Prayer-Pine For, who is owned by the Scheigert Racing Stable.

Claude Huckabone, III did the teaming for trainer Melissa Beckwith as the veteran bay gelding chalked up his sixth season’s score, 21st lifetime win and increased his career earnings to more than $143,000.

Huckabone also won with the trotters Fash Bash Girl and Caviars Promise to record his initial “hat trick” at the meet.

Dennis Whittemore’s aged gelding Saver secured a solid 1:57.1 score in Friday’s $8,000 seventh session, the week’s Open-2 trotting contest.

(Vernon Downs)