Skads Winner lived up to his name with a career-best 1:55.3 performance in Friday night’s $8,000 featured Open-2 ninth race at Vernon Downs

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Competing against six skilled trotting rivals in the week’s contest, Skads Winner ($6.70) waltzed to the front as the starting gate pulled away and danced through intervals of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:26 en route to a one and a quarter length triumph over the favorite, Unshakeable.

With Bill Bailey driving for trainer Ann Yurenka and owner Mary K. Apker, the six-year-old son of Broadway Hall-Angela Lane logged his second score at the meet and 14th overall, while raising his career earnings to $229,655. The speedy showing trimmed two-fifths of a second off of his previous win mark.

Sha Delight, the fastest freshman performer at the Downs thus far this season on the strength of a 1:56 qualifying win on June 25, delivered a 1:56.3 victory in Friday’s $3,000 fifth event. With Brian Mattison doing the teaming for trainer Paul Kelley and Wanda Polisseni’s Purple Haze Stables, the brown daughter of Bettors Delight-Shady Babie wired seven pacing rivals on her way to a three and a half length triumph in her first pari-mutuel venture.

Veteran horseman Roman Lopez steered three different trotters into Vernon’s winner’s circle on Friday, including Mr Web Page, who collected his fourth straight score in the $4,300 seventh session. Lopez owns the steady-striding three-year-old colt, who tied Justice Wyoming for most trotting tallies after 35 programs, and drew even with the pacer Rosa Villa for the longest winning streak at the meet.

Driver Rick Plano, as well as owner-trainer Don Brainard and Polisseni’s Purple Haze Stables were all credited with two tallies during Friday’s 10-race card.

Saturday’s 10-race card, which includes Open-1 and Open-2 races, will feature four divisions of a $145,208 New York Sires Stake for three-year-old filly pacers. The event’s headliner is the standardbred sport’s top-ranked performer at present, the undefeated See You At Peelers, who will be trying for her 19th straight career score in the evening’s ninth event. First post is at 6:55 p.m.

(Vernon Downs)