Delano and Brookroad Knight continued their winning ways during Wednesday night’s $132,236 New York Sires Stakes for three-year-old male trotters at Vernon Downs.

The crowd’s choice Delano ($3.30) delivered his third straight NYSS score with a 1:55 performance in Wednesday’s seventh session, while Brookroad Knight ($15.40) upset the favourite Coraggioso with a career-best 1:53.4 effort in the ninth race.

Trainer Ray Schnittker, who owns Delano along with Tom Vassiliou, Nicholas Tallarico and the Delano Stable, was at the controls as the son of Credit Winner-Kelly Hall took command in the first turn and remained in charge the rest of the way, holding off a late-charge by Trouble to earn a half-length score. Mado Dream was another half-length back in third.

The quick-striding mile, which was one tick of the timer off Delano’s record, was the brown colt’s fourth score in six season’s starts. It lifted his lifetime winnings to more than $344,100.

Brookroad Knight’s fast-closing achievement was his second NYSS score in succession and second of the Vernon campaign. Jim Morrill Jr. did the steering for trainer Bruce Borden and owner John W. O’Connor as the oily-gaited son of Cr Excalibur-Questionable Lady advanced from fifth in the early going, and then closed from second at the head of the stretch to pass and defeat Coraggioso by one and a quarter lengths. Brookroad Knight’s time missed Archangel’s track record for three-year-old colt trotters by three-fifths of a second. The victory, his third this season and eighth all-time, raised his lifetime earnings to more than $134,000.

Abundanceofcredit and Barnegat Lane shared speediest mile honours in Wednesday’s $51,200 Excelsior Series contest for NY-bred sophomore colt and gelding trotters.

Abundanceofcredit (Credit Winner-Melissa Hall) earned his initial season’s score and second career win with a career-best 1:57.1 showing in Wednesday’s second race, while Barnegat Lane also logged his first win of 2012 and second lifetime score with a 1:57.1 personal-best mile in the third event.

Wednesday’s other Excelsior Series victors were Cash Value (Cash Hall-Minnesota Chelsea) in 1:58.1 and Southwind Strobe (Equinox Bi-Soxeelady) in 1:58.2.

Red Star Hottie, Morrill Jr. teaming for trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and the Burke Racing Stable, turned in a bold-going 1:51.4 mile to captured Wednesday’s $10,500 sixth session, the week’s Open test for female pacers.

Morrill Jr. earned his third triple of the 33-card local meeting, while former Downs regular Jeff Gregory notched a pair of first-place finishes during Wednesday’s 11-race program.

(Vernon Downs)