Ma Chere Hall and Banco Solo each earned champion status as a result of their impressive victories in Friday night’s $408,500 finals of the 2012 Kindergarten Classic Series for two-year-old trotters at Vernon Downs.
Ma Chere Hall, who tied the Vernon record for her age, sex and gait with a 1:56 clocking in last Friday’s fifth and final preliminary leg at Vernon, followed that remarkable score up with a 1:54.3 mile in the $202,500 filly flight to establish a new Downs standard for her class.
Banco Solo’s 1:55.3 victory for driver Jeff Gregory in the $206,000 male title test proved to be a personal-best effort, and the fastest mile by a freshman colt trotter at the 87-program meeting. The previous 1:55.4 speed standard was shared by Lauderdale, a divisional winner in this event last week, and Royalty For Life, who established the mark on Aug. 25.
Competing as part of a three-filly Jonas Czernyson stable entry in Friday’s sixth session, Ma Chere Hall and driver Corey Callahan drafted along behind stablemate Shared Past, who cut fractions of :27-seconds, :57, and 1:25.4. The fleet-footed daughter of Deweycheatumnhowe-Margarita Hall used a speed spurt in the final 16th of a mile to earn a head triumph over the Yannick Gingras-steered pacesetter.
Friday’s first-place finish by Ma Chere Hall marked the third this season for the career-winner of $145,101, who is shared in ownership by Walnut Hall Ltd., Aldebaran Park Inc., and Joe Sbrocco.
Banco Solo’s speedy score was his second locally and seventh in 10 season’s starts.
“I just happened to pick up the drive behind him from trainer Kenneth Oscarsson last week and it has worked out well for both of us. He’s a very nice colt,” said Gregory, a former Vernon regular, who is now one of the Standardbred sport's leading catch-drivers.
The fast-closing, one and a quarter length triumph by the brown son of Master Glide-Silver Thatch over All Laid Out (Jim Rattray ) raised his career winnings to $157,481 for Atlantic Trot Inc.
Friday’s $8,500 Junior Open Trot was won by Aruba Vacation, who wired seven select rivals with a 1:56 performance in race eight. Jim Morrill Jr. did the steering for trainer Guy Howard and the Howard Stables.
Truman Gale, last season’s top provisional driver at the Downs, steering Cash In Watsu and Photo Master to victories, earned his second driving double of the meet during Friday’s 11-race program.
(Vernon Downs)