Bay Of Sharks equaled the Vernon Downs record for four-year-old pacing horses with his 1:50.2 clocking after winning Saturday night’s $9,000 featured sixth race
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With dash-driving leader Josh Marks at the controls, Bay Of Sharks went right to the front from the outside five post and cut fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:23.1 en route to a two-length triumph over last week’s winner in the Class A Miracle Mile contest, Stettin Hanover. Mystical Valentine finished third.
Saturday’s speedy score came in the first season’s start for the bay son of Cams Card Shark-Whitley Bay, who is trained by Tracy Brainard and owned by Michael and Sam Sergi. The time stands as the fastest mile of six-night-old meet, and it tied the track record for this age, sex and gait that was set by Riggins in August of 2009.
Holly Cordisco’s steady-going sidewheeler Pickmeamerigold became the season’s initial three-time winner with a 1:53 tally in Saturday’s $3,700 10th event. Howard Okusko, Jr. did the catch-driving for trainer Joe Cordisco as the four-year-old daughter of Ameripan Gigolo-Whip City Gal secured her fourth victory in 15 current outings.
Marks, who has earned 18 first-place finishes in the six programs conducted at Vernon to date, posted three Saturday scores, as did Okusko, while defending dash champ Jimmy Whittemore chalked up a pair of victories during the 11-race card.
(Vernon Downs)