Sharpshootennorris, Delightful Dancer, Fox Valley Majesty and Photosmart all earned their second victories of the five-night-old season at Vernon Downs on Friday night
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Sharpshootennorris, who last Friday forged a 1:55 mile, fastest by a trotter during the first three weekends, followed up that tally with a 1:55.1 triumph in the $9,000 fifth race, the week’s Class A Miracle Mile conditioned test. Josh Marks drove for trainer Tracy Brainard, who owns the seven-year-old gelding along with Gerard Stuchbury.
Delightful Dancer rallied from fifth at the top of the stretch and used a head bob at the finish to secure a 1:53 victory in the $9,000 ninth race, the week’s Class A contest for female pacers. Bill Bailey completed a driving triple as the four-year-old mare improved her season’s summary line to 2-2-1 after eight outings for trainer Howard Okusko, Sr. and owner Rocco Manzi.
Fox Valley Majesty, Marks driving for owner-trainer Brainard, became the first two-time winning trotter of the campaign after a career-best 1:57.2 tally in Friday’s $5,000 third event, while Angus MacDonald’s high-stepper Photosmart followed suit in the $7,000 eighth event.
In addition to Bailey’s hat trick and Brainard’s double, Howard Okusko, Jr. also posted two driving victories during Friday’s 11-race card.
(Vernon Downs)