Sharp Seven and Nezuko Kamado S were victorious in a pair of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for freshman trotting fillies at Vernon Downs on Friday, July 25.

Sharp Seven scored a maiden-breaking victory in the $71,918 first division with Jeff Gregory driving for trainer George Ducharme.

Sharp Seven went straight to the front and carved out fractions of :28.3, :57.4 and 1:26.2 en route to a 1:55 victory, defeating the favoured Ill Have The Red (Rick Zeron) by 2-1/4 lengths, with Grace In Heaven (Brett Beckwith) third.

Sharp Seven's first career win followed a pair of runner-up efforts in her two previous starts in NYSS action after a miscue marred her career debut. The Chapter Seven-Lookin Sharp filly is owned by the Purple Haze Stables of Fairport, New York. She paid $11 to win.

Nezuko Kamado S, who bested Sharp Seven in the NYSS leg at Tioga Downs last time out on July 13, resumed her winning ways in the second division, worth $73,288, topping stablemate Jula Hot To Chill in a 1-2 finish for trainer Marcus Melander.

Driven by Brett Beckwith, Nezuko Kamado S looped early leader Overalls (Jordan Stratton) after a :28.1 opening quarter and led the rest of the way, setting middle splits of :58.2 and 1:27 then opening up 4-1/2 lengths at the end of the 1:56 mile. Jula Hot To Chill (Braxten Boyd) closed late to finish second and Seven Winds (Jeff Gregory) was third.

Owned by Courant Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida, the homebred daughter of Chapter Seven out of Zefria Kronos IT is just a head shy of a perfect record in her first three races, all in NYSS action. She paid $2.40 to win.

Gregory and Ducharme combined for three wins on the nine-race card, also sweeping the pair of $27,397 Excelsior Series divisions with Elqueen (E L Titan-Queen Of More) in 1:58 and Makeittothebell (Chapter Seven-Alanas Brilliance) in 1:58.3.

(Vernon Downs & Standardbred Canada; photo of Sharp Seven winning on July 25)