In a New York Sire Stakes showdown featuring a pair of undefeated two-year-old male pacers, Fast Choice came away with his record intact as driver Doug McNair guided him to a new lifetime mark in the $150,822 feature at Vernon Downs on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Fast Choice handed the 3-5 favoured Thirsty Thursday his first defeat while improving his own record to four wins in as many starts -- all in New York Sires Stakes competition.

Silent Weapon (Tyler Buter) charged off the outer wing of the starting gate and was first to the quarter in :26.4 with Thirsty Thursday (Matt Kakaley) charging by around the first turn and Fast Choice hot on his heels. Fast Choice took over command and led to the half in :54. He remained on top to three-quarters in 1:23.2.

As the field reached the stretch, the race was on between the two unbeaten rookies with Thirsty Thursday all out going after Fast Choice. Thirsty Thursday kept coming, but Fast Choice won by a length in a lifetime best of 1:50.3. Holt Hanover (Ray Schnittker), the longest shot on the board at 89-1, finished 2-3/4 lengths behind in third.

Fast Choice's winning time was just one-fifth of a second off the track record for two-year-old pacing geldings. He paid $6.90 to win as the 2-1 second choice. 

The Courtly Choice-Fashion Guru gelding, who was just a $13,000 yearling purchase from the 2023 Lexington Selected Sale, has amassed $217,759 in earnings in just four starts for owners Ashley Bako of Blooming Grove, New York and Randy Zane of Laval, Que.

A trio of $27,397 Excelsior Series divisions went to Southpaw and Seafood Neighneigh in a 1:54.2 dead heat, Digging For Gold in a 1:53 mile and Dandy Ideal in an impressive 1:50.4 clocking.

In other Saturday racing action, Awol Hanover and Steve Reisenweaver won the Angus MacDonald Memorial Trot. The 10-year-old gelding by Donato Hanover is owned by Reisenweaver and trained by Jeff Byron.

Live harness racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday, Aug. 23, starting at 4 p.m.

(With files from Vernon Downs)