Hay Goodlooking rewarded his backers with a 1:53 victory in Saturday afternoon’s Open Handicap Pace at Vernon Downs
.
Competing as the favourite in Saturday’s $10,000 seventh race, Hay Goodlooking ($6.60) went right to the front for trainer/driver Gates Brunet and ruled through fractions of :27-flat, :57-flat and 1:25.l. The determined bay colt had enough left in the tank at the finish to hold off Winbak Dimensions by a nose and Daley Deposit Only by a head.
Hay Goodlooking’s time was just one tick of the timer off his record, which was established at Tioga Downs last year.
The stout showing resulted in the second local score, sixth of the season and 12th all-time for the three-year-old son of Art Major-Moniques Legacy, who has earned $315,349 during his productive career for owners Deborah Brunet (Gates’ wife), Theodore Gewertz and Samuel Dotro.
Chris Lems, Vernon’s leading provisional driver the past two seasons and currently second in the track’s dash-winning derby, recorded four victories during Saturday’s nine-race card. The talented 22-year-old teamster won with the pacers Naraculese (1:54.3), Yankee Arnie (1:54.3), Badlands George (1:54.3) and Jesse Outlaw (1:56.3) to chalk up his second four-bagger at the meet. Lems, who also won four races at Vernon on July 23, trails dash-leader Jimmy Whittemore, 102-84, with 14 programs remaining in the track’s 56th season.
(Vernon Downs)