The favourite Fool Me Once lived up to his top billing with a 1:50 track record performance in the fastest of three divisions of Thursday’s $132,975 New York Sires Stakes feature for three-year-old male pacers at Vernon Downs.

Rated perfectly throughout the ninth race in a persistent rain and over a sloppy track, Fool Me Once was sent to the front at the start by driver Scott Zeron and led through splits of :26, :55.1 and 1:23.4 en route to an impressive four-length victory, clipping one-fifth-of-a-second off the former Vernon standard for three-year-old colt pacers, that had been set by Coral Snake on June 22 last season.

Thursday’s brilliant performance resulted in the fifth win in seven season’s starts by the bay son of Art Major-Fool That I Am and his ninth career tally. Mark Austin conditions the lifetime earner of nearly $293,000 for the Mark Austin Stables Inc and Dan Smith.

Thursday’s other NYSS divisions were captured by Hail The Taxi (Art Major-Taxi Hanover) in 1:51 over a “good” track with Hall-of-Famer John Campbell doing the teaming for trainer Jim Campbell and the Fashion Farms, LLC, and Bettor Than You (Bettors Delight-Mambo Hall) in 1:51.4 on a similarly rated surface with Jim Morrill, Jr. doing the steering for owner/trainer Tony O’Sullivan and his partners John Fielding and Jim Fielding.

Im The Real Major (Art Major-Real Girl) posted a 1:52 personal-best speed-mark to snare the swiftest Excelsior Series score for male sophomore side-wheelers, with Chris Lems steering for trainer Margaret Spagnola and owners Dave Spagnola and the Our Blue Streaks Stable.

Thursday’s other Excelsior series splits were won by Stormy West in 1:52.1, Humility in 1:53.3, Just Bettor in 1:53.4 and Larussa STL in 1:54.

First-time Downs starter Blissfull Romance earned a 1:52.3, head decision over Bells Are Ringing in Thursday’s tenth event, the week’s $10,000 Open distaff pace, with Morrill, Jr. piloting for trainer Ron Burke, the Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

Nine-time current local winner Morrill managed his third triple of Vernon’s 60th season, while the 28-program meeting’s leading trainer and driver, Rick Plano, posted a pair of first-place finishes, as did John MacDonald and Jason Bartlett.

(Vernon Downs)