A fast pace and a tracking trip both proved beneficial for the J P Stables' Lucid Thoughts ($20.40), as he had ample late trot to just nab defending Open winner Stirling Cadet in Friday (April 29) evening's $9,000 Open Handicap Trot at Vernon Downs.

Trainer/driver John MacDonald secured a close tracking trip with the eight-year-old Cash Hall gelding, yielding to Stirling Cadet (Jimmy Whittemore) and Lutetium (Truman Gale) through a sharp :26.3 initial quarter. Lucid Thoughts would end up locked in through intermediate sectionals of :56 and 1:24.1 by the first-over Pocket Trip (Fern Paquet Jr.), but found room to shake free off the corner as the outer tier weakened. Lucid Thoughts vacated the pegs at head-stretch, working into second over the all-out Lutetium at the eighth pole and ultimately just collaring Stirling Cadet by half a length for a 1:52.4 triumph, the 28th of his career. Stirling Cadet was valiant in defeat, holding second by three and a half lengths over Lutetium.

MacDonald's victory with Lucid Thoughts capped a driving hat trick, as he swept the early double with odds-on winners Elm Grove Inarush ($2.30, 1:52.3) and Have a Parodi ($2.90, 1:55.2).

In the evening's Catherine Burton late-closing series divisions, Janice Connor trainee Chukkar ($4.30) was the only repeat winner from last week. Chuck Connor, Jr. drove the three-year-old Crazed colt to a hard-fought 1:57.4 win over Golden Son in the first division, while Walk The Floor ($3.10, Angus MacDonald, 1:57) and Thats A Bad Boy ($18.00, Tyler Freese, 1:57.2) captured the subsequent $4,000 splits.

(Vernon Downs)