Hometown favourite Aruba Vacation and Fern Paquet Jr. captured Saturday night’s $18,000 Open Trot at Tioga Downs, and posted a new track record for four-year-old gelding trotters

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Leaving from post position number six, Paquet and “Aruba” quickly took control of the field through fractions of :28 and :58.1.

Down the backside and headed towards three-quarters, the race favourite Winning Fireworks (Phil Fluet) posted a first over bid but couldn’t even reach the wheel of the pacesetter. As the field struck the three-quarter mark of the race in 1:26.1, the only threat to Aruba Vacation was the 55-1 pocket-sitting Howd That Feel and Jason Mac Dougall.

Down the stretch, Howd That Feel tipped to the outside but wasn’t much of a threat as Aruba Vacation cruised to victory in 1:55.1 stamping his name into the Tioga Downs’ record books.

Guy Howard trains the four-year-old homebred son of Dream Vacation–Dixie Hit, who scored for the fifth time in 21 starts this season and with the win increased his seasonal bankroll to $68,000.

Howd The Feel (Jason Mac Dougall) finished second, while Whybabywhy (Jim Meittinis) used a rail ride to finish third.

(Tioga Downs)