Stettin Hanover made fast work of six skilled rivals while pacing to a 1:51.1 triumph in Saturday night’s $9,000 featured sixth race at Vernon Downs
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Jack Rice did the catch-driving for trainer Lonny Hale as Stettin Hanover took charge of the week’s top test in the Miracle Mile class during the final turn and sped on to a 3-1/4 length victory over the crowd favourite Sheer Brilliance. He paid $10.40 to win.
It was the first local tally, but third score in six season’s starts for the eight-year-old gelding, who is registered to the Hale Storm Stable. The time is a new speed mark for the bay son of Artiscape and the fastest of 41 miles in 2:00 or faster at the four-night-old meet.
Hale, a former multiple conditioning champ here, made two trips to Vernon’s winner’s circle during Saturday’s 12-race program.
Two races earlier, the pacer King William has lowered the track’s season’s speed standard to 1:53 with a hard-earned victory for provisional driver and trainer Lee Dahn. It marked the 17th lifetime tally for the five-year-old gelding, who is shared in ownership by Lee, Marissa and Larry Dahn.
Defending dash-winning champ Jimmy Whittemore recorded three Saturday scores, while Chris Lems logged a pair of first-place finishes.
(Vernon Downs)