The fleet-footed pacer Sheer Brilliance displayed his superiority for the second straight week while winning Saturday night’s $12,000 Open contest at Vernon Downs.

Following up on a 1:50.2 victory in this top-flight class at Vernon last Saturday, favourite Sheer Brilliance was steered to the front at the start of the seventh race by catch-driver Claude Huckabone III and he remained there through intervals of :26.3, :53.4 and 1:22 over a rain-soaked “good” track. He defeated the second wagering choice, JK Panache, by a head in a 1:50.4 performance.

Saturday’s score was the ninth this season and the 43rd all-time for the six-year-old bay son of Blissful Hall-High Roller Ash, who has earned $503,365 during his productive career. The gritty gelding is owned by trainer Jeffrey Long and J. Paul Long.

In Saturday’s 11th event, Bushwacker turned in a bold-striding 1:53.3, front-ending triumph for Jimmy Whittemore that resulted in his first career victory. The eye-opening performance became the fastest mile by a two-year-old pacing gelding at the 80-program meeting, and it was just three-fifths of a second off the track’s record for this category that was established by Memory King in 2011. Chris Ryder conditions the bay son of Rocknroll Hanover-Dolphins Can Talk, who is owned by the Henderson Farms.

Huckabone III delivered three tallies during Saturday’s 13-race card as did Whittemore. Driver Chris Lems chalked up his meet-leading 21st driving double of the local campaign.

(Vernon Downs)