Leading driver John MacDonald notched a five-bagger on Thursday evening's eight-race card at Vernon Downs, sweeping the back half of the program.

The 34-year-old Prince Edward Island native extended his advantage over Chris Lems in the seasonal table to 40 wins, taking his first win of the night in a $3,600 trotting event with Empirestateofmind ($5.70, 2:01.1), a two-year-old daughter of Cantab Hall-Spectacularstarlet he also trains for owner Ross Bonafield.

MacDonald would subsequently team up with Chip Chip Page ($4.70, 1:58), Andro Madi ($4.90, 1:53.3), I Saw Red ($7.90, 1:54.4) and Incredible Gambler ($12.80, 1:56.3) to cap his driving quintuple.

Lems accounted for two winners on the evening, including the featured $9,100 top-level distaff pace, which he won with Super Soph ($3.70). Lems secured the pocket with the six-year-old Admirals Galley mare early on, angled off the pegs with five-sixteenths to go, and dueled down pacesetter Southern Girl (Fern Paquet, Jr.) by way of a :26.1 closing sectional to prevail in 1:54.1 for owner Mark Wamp and trainer Jackie Rousse.

Live racing returns to Vernon Downs with a 10-race card on Friday evening. Post time is 6:45 p.m.

(Vernon Downs)