Lets Go Higher increased her winning streak to five with a dominating 1:50.4 performance in Thursday night’s $12,000 featured Open for female pacers at Vernon Downs.
With Shawn Gray doing the steering for trainer Heidi Rohr in Thursday’s second session, the favourite Lets Go Higher was on the iron from the start, stomping out fractions of :26, :54.2 and 1:22.2 en route to a six-length score over last week’s winner in this class, Dont Blame Her.
It was the fourth local score, the 12th season’s tally and the 21st lifetime victory for the steady-striding five-year-old daughter of Cole Muffler-Ten Speed, who earned her 1:50.3 record at Vernon Downs on Aug. 8. The Jesse J. De Long-owned mare is currently a career-winner of more than $265,000.
Ten-time track driving champ Howard Okusko, Jr. charted his fourth triple of the 78-program meeting, winning with the trotters Oldmanandthesea (1:59), Oaklea Tyson (1:58) and pacer Winbak Your Kash (1:55). His wife, former Downs conditioning champ Jessica Okusko, is the trainer of Oldmanandthesea and Winbak Your Kash.
Veteran horseman Angus Mac Donald (66) enjoyed a driving win, My Future Ex (2:00.3), and two training tallies during Thursday’s 12-race card.
(Vernon Downs)