Josh Marks put on another driving clinic at Vernon Downs on Saturday night, winning six of the track’s 10 races, including the $9,100 featured sixth session with the veteran trotter Sharpshootennorris
.
Marks, who tops the track’s current dashes won standings with 50 credits in 16 programs, piloted the favourite Sharpshootennorris to a front-striding 1:55.3 victory in the week’s Class A Miracle Mile test for top-shelf representatives of the diagonal gait.
The 1 3/4-length score over Saratoga invader Think Gold was the fourth in succession here for the seven-year-old son of Earl-Our Royal Gem, tying him at four with the pacers Bet The Ranch and Pickmeamerigold as the meet’s winningest equines to date. The career-winner of $327,756 is shared in ownership by trainer Tracy Brainard and Gerard Stuchbury.
Sharpshootennorris and Pickmeamerigold are currently tied for most consecutive equine wins at the Downs thus far in 2010.
Marks chalked up Saturday’s first four races in the victory column. The 27-year-old reinsman, who is a product of Vernon’s backstretch, also won the evening’s sixth and eighth event to increase his lifetime victory total to 996.
This season at Vernon, Marks has recorded two driving doubles, five triples, three four-win outings, two five-win performances, one six-win night and a seven-win showing on May 20 that tied the track’s all-time mark for most victories on a single program, set by Jim Morrill, Jr. in 2008.
The Downs will present an 11-race Memorial Day matinee card at 1:15 p.m. on Monday that features Empire Breeders Classic champion races for three-year-old male and female trotters.
(Vernon Downs)