Bet The Ranch and Proud American took home top honours in pacing features at Vernon Downs on Saturday night, April 25
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Bet The Ranch, owned by Edwin Gold and Conrad Zurich, posted a repeat victory in Saturday’s $9,000 Open test for female pacers, while Rocco Manzi’s Proud American secured his second straight score in the $9,000 Open-1 showdown.
Driver Howard Okusko, Jr. sent Bet The Ranch to the front from the word “go” and urged the four-year-old daughter of Bettors Delight on to a neck triumph in 1:53.4 over newcomer Fox Valley Sage during Saturday’s fifth event. The Jessica Okusko-trainee secured her 11th lifetime tally and raised her career earnings to more than $95,400 with the hard-fought effort.
Chris Lems, the meet’s leading dash-winner after four racing nights, did the teaming for trainer Lonny Hale as Proud American rallied three-wide from fifth in Vernon’s final turn, then closed from fourth in the stretch to nip the pocket-sitting Four One One by a neck at the completion of the sixth race. The six-year-old son of Village Joe paid $11.60 for the 1:53.2 performance, which currently ranks as meet’s fastest clocking. It marked the 17th lifetime tally for the career-winner of $201,176.
Dennis Whittemore’s Outlaw Blues tied for fastest-mile-of-the-meet honours after Jimmy Whittemore guided the six-year-old gelding to a front-ending 1:53.2 score in Saturday’s $6,000 ninth race, the week’s Open-2 pace. North America Cup eligible Allamerican Improv, who is ranked at odds of 55-1 in Trot Magazine’s 2009 Pepsi North America Cup Spring Book, was the runner-up with Howard Okusko Jr. at the reins.
Driver Bill Bailey won three of Saturday’s 12 races, while his brother, Jim, secured two scores. Okusko, Jr. and Lems also logged a pair of first-place finishes and Nicholas Gibides earned a training double.
Dorothy Gibides owns the pacers A And Gs Winner and Eye Of Survival, who combined to capture Saturday’s early double (Races 1 and 2). Eye Of Survival and Outlaw Blues also recorded repeat victories during the program.
(With files from Vernon Downs)