Fox Valley Sage unleashed a strong stretch speed surge that carried her to a 1:53.3 victory in Friday night’s $9,000 featured sixth race at Vernon Downs
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With lessee and trainer Ralph Andersen in the sulky, Fox Valley Sage laid back in third as Bet The Ranch, last week’s winner in this class, took the field to the three-quarters in 1:26.1. The five-year-old mare closed in a :27-second final quarter to defeat the pocket-sitting Chocolate Art by three-quarters-of-a-length. Bet The Ranch held on for third.
It marked the initial tally after seven season’s starts for the daughter of Richess Hanover-Pink Cadillac and her 15th lifetime score. The career-winner of $99,326 paid $9.20 to win.
Fox Valley Sage’s clocking is two-fifths-of-a-second off the meet’s fastest mile to date.
Jimmy Whittemore earned a pair of first-place finishes during Friday’s 10-race card to tie dash-winning pacesetter Howard Okusko, Jr. at four for the lead in driving doubles after 11 programs.
Leon Bailey gained a 3-2 advantage over Ken Schultz, Jr. in this year’s provisional drivers race following a 1:55.2 victory behind Rock C. Vinci’s pacing mare Misty Viking in Friday’s seventh session
(Vernon Downs)