Lightning Force, Cee Bee Yes, Trixton and Yoga were all divisional winners in Friday night’s fifth and final preliminary leg of the $40,000 Kindergarten Classic barnstorming series for two-year-old trotters at Vernon Downs.
Lightning Force set a Vernon record for two-year-old trotting geldings with his 1:55 victory in the first male contest, Cee Bee Yes produced the fastest mile by a frosh filly high-stepper at the meet with her 1:55 performance in race 11, while Trixton and Yoga, both representatives of the Jimmy Takter stable, earned first-place finishes in 1:54.4 and 1:55.3, respectively.
Hall Of Fame driver John Campbell guided Lightning Force to his first career win and a 1:55 record in Friday’s fourth race. The quick-striding son of Muscle Hill-Lightning Flower rallied from fifth in the early going to third at the half. The bay battler kept on rolling until he gained the lead in the final turn and continued on to a one length score over the favourite, Odds On Amethyst. It marked the eighth career start for the winner of $34,085, who is conditioned by Randy Beeckman and owned by the Miller’s Stable Inc.
The crowd’s choice Cee Bee Yes improved her season’s summary line to 4-3-1 after 10 starts with a front-striding 1:55 mile, which missed the track record by just two ticks of the timer, but went down as the fastest showing by a representative of her age, sex and gait at the 79-program meeting. Andy Miller drove for trainer Julie Miller, as the bay daughter of Muscles Yankee-Enbeecee gained a fresh win-mark and hiked her winnings to $173,785.
Trixton completed a driving double for Takter with his strong-striding, three-quarter-length tally over second choice Outburst and top pick Sumatra in Friday’s sixth session. The 1:54.4 life’s-best clocking, which missed the Vernon record for freshman colt trotters (Nuncio in 1:54.3 earlier in the meet) by one tick of the timer, led to the fourth win in seven trips to the track for the bay son of Muscle Hill-Emilie Cas El, who has earned $53,687 for owners Christina Takter and Brixton Medical AB.
The crowd’s choice Yoga turned a pocket-sitting trip from Takter into a 1:55.3 victory in Friday’s second session. The neck triumph over the pacesetting Bikini So Teeny gave the brown daughter of Muscles Yankee-Sugarcane Yankee her fifth win in seven starts. The steady-going filly has returned $37,750 to owners Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding thus far this year.
Friday’s $12,000 Open Trot was won by newcomer Bound For Fame, the wagering choice, who rallied in the final furlong to nip Walltocousins by a head in a 1:53.4 ninth race effort. David Miller, sitting in for trainer David Duspiva, earned his fourth win of the evening as he steered the speedy six-year-old son of S Js Photo-Bewitching Karen to a new win-mark, his eighth season score and 18th lifetime victory. The fast-closing effort pushed the gritty gelding’s career earnings past the $301,000 plateau for owners Mark Allen Goldberg and the Rags To Riches Stable of Pennsylvania.
Driver Andy Miller posted twin tallies during the program, as did trainers Deedra Johnson and R. Nifty Norman.
Saturday night’s 13-race program, which includes a $12,000 Open Pace in race seven, will begin at 6:45 p.m. Vernon will also offer simulcast wagering on tomorrow night’s $6 million Breeders Crown championship program from Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs starting at 5 p.m.
The Downs will play host to this season’s $400,000 (est.) championship finals of the Kindergarten Classic next Friday (Oct. 25).
(Vernon Downs)