Vernon Downs hosted three divisions of the Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) for sophomore trotters in addition to a pair of divisions of the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Friday afternoon, June 14.
Honeys Sweet was the fastest EBC winner, taking the $264,932 filly division in a career-best 1:52 flat with a late charge to defeat favourite R Melina by a neck in rein to Yannick Gingras for trainer Tony Alagna.
Firing from the outside post seven, Date Night Hanover (Dexter Dunn) was first to the quarter in :27.2 and first to the half in :56.2. R Melina (Tyler Buter), riding a three-race win streak in NYSS action, then took over the top spot heading to the final turn and led to three-quarters in 1:24. As the fillies reached the stretch, Date Night Hanover challenged from the pocket as Senorita Palema (Ake Svanstedt) slipped through on the inside while Sadbirdstillsing (Jason Bartlett) went three-wide and Honeys Sweet shot four-wide. Closing from fifth in :27, Honeys Sweet was fastest of all and got up for the victory over R Melina, with Sadbirdstillsing finishing fourth over Date Night Hanover and Senorita Palema.
Honeys Sweet is a Crawford Farms homebred filly by Chapter Seven out of the Muscle Hill mare, Corazon Blue Chip. Coming off a victory in the June 7 leg of the NYSS at Tioga Downs, she earned her second win of the season in three starts and is now five-for-13 lifetime with her bankroll soaring to $213,929. Let go at odds of 5-1, Honeys Sweet returned $13.40 for the mild upset.
The EBC for the colts and geldings was split into a pair of $139,041 divisions, with Situationship and Wild Ticket taking top honours.
Situationship prevailed off a pocket trip in a new lifetime mark of 1:52.1 for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.
Sir Pinocchio (Jason Bartlett) went straight to the lead from the outside post in a :26.3 opening quarter and was rated through middle splits of :55.2 and 1:24 before Situationship blew by in the stretch to win easily by 3-3/4 lengths. Sir Pinocchio settled for second while third prize went to Thinker Monkey (Scott Zeron).
Following up a victory in the May 27 leg of the NYSS at Vernon, Situationship now two-for-two to start his sophomore campaign. The Chapten Seven-Meegan Hall gelding sports a career record reading 3-4-1 from 11 outings with $232,030 earned for owners Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E Llc and Tomas Andersson. Sent postward as the heavy favourite, he paid $3.20 to win.
Wild Ticket put forth a 1:53.2 career-best effort to take the final EBC divisions with Dexter Dunn aboard for trainer Marcus Melander.
Leaving from post three, Wild Ticket led to the quarter in :28.1 before the favoured Dame Good Time (Scott Zeron) took over going down the backstretch. Dame Good Time was first to the half in :57.3 and stayed in front going around the final turn to three-quarters in 1:25.2.
As the trotters made the turn for home, Wild Ticket went after Dame Good Time, who dug in but then broke stride in deep stretch. Wild Ticket won by a head, with Dame Good Time second-placed-third and Fly By (Jason Bartlett) inheriting the runner-up honours.
Wild Ticket also entered the EBC off a victory in NYSS action and is now two-for-three this year, with four wins overall and earnings totalling $215,981 from 13 starts. The Chapter Seven-On The Wild Side colt is owned by Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Heights Stable and Mantorp Llc. Wild Ticket was the 2-1 second choice and paid $6 to win.
Driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander combined to win both of the $81,096 NYSS divisions with Symmetry Stables' American Ideal gelding Howlenthehills ($4.70) in a career-best 1:50.1 and Fiddler's Creek Stables' homebred Huntsville gelding Reggie The Fourth in 1:51.1. Of note, Howlenthehills bested last year's NYSS divisional champion Boston Rocks for the second straight leg and is now five-for-five in his sophomore campaign after going winless in eight starts as a rookie.
Live harness racing at Vernon Downs resumes on Saturday with an 11-race card starting at 6:05 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)