The swift-striding pacer A Fool For Mark turned a pocket-sitting trip into a breezy 1:51.4 victory that proved to be the fastest score on Saturday night at Vernon Downs.
Facing seven speedy foes in Saturday’s $6,000 sixth event, A Fool For Mark settled in behind rotating leaders Checkinthebox (at the quarter) and The Bruiser (at the half) before taking charge of the “Winners Over” contest approaching the three-quarter mile mark and upsetting the favourite, Special Strides, by one and a half lengths.
Although it was the initial Vernon victory in 2013, it marked the eighth score in 16 current starts for the seven-year-old son of Western Ideal-Im No Fool, who gained his 25th lifetime tally and raised his career earnings to $86,186. John MacDonald did the teaming for owner and trainer Dustin Ingraham.
The first-place finish was one of two during Saturday’s 12-race card for MacDonald, a newcomer to the Downs this season.
Full brothers Four One One and The Grey Bullet (each by Sealed N Delivered and out of the broodmare Jammin Jenna) met for the first time ever in Saturday’s third race, with the older brother, Four One One (age 11) getting the better of The Grey Bullet (age eight) by finishing fifth to the latter’s seventh-place showing.
(Vernon Downs)