It took an exciting stretch drive for Love You Bye to pick up her third win in the last four starts at Vernon Downs in Thursday’s $10,000 feature.

Love You Bye and driver Jimmy Whittemore sat in mid-pack through the early stages of the race while Seascape Hanover (Fern Paquet, Jr.) set fractions of 26.1 and 54.4. It was at the half-mile mark that Ugly Betty (John Macdonald) rallied up on the outside to take the lead. She was in charge at the three-quarter mark in 1:22.3. Ugly Betty led until mid-stretch, at which point Seascape Hanover came back up the inside and Love You Bye commenced to close down the outside. Love You Bye managed to beat Seascape Hanover home to win in 1:52.1. Ugly Betty rounded out the top three finishers.

The daughter of Mcardle-Cams Genious is owned by Jimmy Whittemore of Norway, Maine and trained by Dennis Whittemore.

Live racing resumes Friday night with an exciting 10-race program featuring the $340,000 Zweig Memorial with Hambletonian runner-up, Nuncio, and morning line favourite, Father Patrick, making up a very strong entry for trainer Jimmy Takter.

Sebastian K will also be racing at Vernon on Friday night in the $236,000 Crawford Farms Open Trot. He’ll be facing 2013 Horse of the Year, Bee A Magician, who takes on the boys. Post time is 6:45 p.m.

(Vernon Downs)