Rock Solid Express and Crazy Fool captured the co-features at Vernon Downs on Saturday, May 25.
Rock Solid Express ($4.50) went gate-to-wire in the $10,274 featured conditioned pace for driver Frank Affrunti. After fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:24.3, Rock Solid Express held off a hard-closing Heisonthehunt (Dylan Huckabone-Miller) to win in 1:52.3. Takeittotheface (John MacDonald) finished third.
Rock Solid Express (pictured above) is a four-year-old horse by Huntsville. He is owned by James DeArmond and David Towne while trained by Jessica Okusko. The win was his third win this season from four starts and 10th lifetime.
Crazy Fool ($13.80) and driver Claude Huckabone Jr. used the same tactics to win the $10,274 featured conditioned trot. Crazy Fool pushed the gate open and led to the quarter in :27.3. He really slowed things down using a :30.3 second quarter to be first to the half in :58.1, then cruised to three-quarters in 1:26.3. Turning for home, Crazy Fool found another gear and won easily in 1:55.4. Golden Kronos (Steeven Genois) finished second, while Valotta Love (John MacDonald) was third.
Owned by trainer Huckabone Jr., Anne Morgan and Richard Dieck, Crazy Fool also picked up his third win this season in his 14th start. The four-year-old son of Crazy Wow now has 15 career victories.
Claude Huckabone III had a driving double and a training triple on the card.
Live harness racing returns at Vernon Downs on Monday, May 27 with a special 11-race matinee starting at 12:15 p.m. featuring New York Sire Stakes sophomore trotters.
(With files from Vernon Downs)