Fear Her Touch and driver Leon Bailey won Friday night's top class at Vernon Downs, a $6,849 fillies and mares conditioned pace, at Vernon Downs.
Favourite Irish Exit Express (John MacDonald) led the field through fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:25.1 and looked like she had it well in hand, but 7-2 second choice Fear Her Touch had other ideas in search of her second straight victory. After following in the pocket, she blew by to win in a lifetime best of 1:53.4. Irish Exit Express had to settle for second, finishing three-quarters of a length back. One More Try (Dylan Huckabone-Miller) followed in third.
John Rothfuss owns and trains Fear Her Touch, a five-year-old mare by Fear The Dragon with three wins from 13 starts this season. She now has 15 career victories and is approaching the $100,000 mark in purse earnings.
Fear Her Touch paid $8.90 to win.
John MacDonald drove three winners on the 11-race card. Claude Huckabone III drove two of three winners from his stable.
Live harness racing returns to Vernon Downs on Saturday, May 11 at 6:05 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)