The talented trotter Unshakeable didn’t panic while under pressure in the stretch and, instead, held on to record a 1:56.3 victory in Saturday night’s $10,500 Open 1 Pace at Vernon Downs
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With 10-time track driving champion Howard Okusko, Jr. doing the teaming for his wife, Jessica, the track’s 2009 training titleist, Unshakeable ($6.60) gained the lead before the half, timed in :57.3, and remained in command by a length entering the final furlong.
In spite of pressure from two closing rivals in the final strides, Unshakeable just kept digging until he had secured a neck triumph over Spin Spanky Spin in the feature event.
It marked the second season’s score and 16th lifetime win for the six-year-old son of Andover Hall-Sister Sammy, who is shared in ownership by driver Okusko, Conrad Zurich and the Purple Haze Stables.
While boosting the bay gelding’s career earnings to more than $161,000, the Okuskos completed a double during Saturday’s 10-race program, having won earlier in the card with the trotter Mystic Splendor, owned by trainer Okusko and Kenneth Finnerty, in 1:56.2.
Multiple victories were also recorded by drivers Jimmy Whittemore and Michael Miller. Whittemore tops all drivers at the 17-night meeting with 32 first-place finishes, while Miller is currently the leading provisional reinsman with five tallies. Former Vernon driving kingpins John Stark, Jr. (Savannah Montana in 1:59.3) and Brian Allen (Artemus Major in 1:56.3) revisited the track’s winner’s circle during the program after shipping over from Saratoga Raceway.
Vernon will present a 12-race card at 1:15 p.m. on Monday (May 30) that includes the championship finals in the $521,700 Empire Breeders Classic for three-year-old trotters, a male contest in Race 6 and a filly flight in Race 9.
(Vernon Downs)