Cowgirl Hall and driver Rick Plano shared top billing during Friday night’s 12-race program at Vernon Downs.
Former New York Sire Stakes standout Cowgirl Hall collected her first win of the season with a fast-closing 1:55 effort in Friday’s $6,200 feature, while Plano, the track’s leading reinsman and trainer again this season, posted five first-place finishes to tie Roman Lopez for most victories on a single card after 29 current programs.
Trainer Gates Brunet did the teaming in Friday’s seventh session as Cowgirl Hall settled into fifth-place during the early going, advanced to fourth around the final turn, and then turned on the speed in the final furlong to defeat the pocket-sitting Salome Marvel by a little more than two lengths.
Friday’s first marked the 12th lifetime tally by the four-year-old daughter of Cash Hall and Centerfold Hall. The career earner of $411,304 is shared in ownership by Deborah Brunet (Gates’ wife), Y.J. Brunet, Theodore Gewertz and Michael Rosenfeld.
Plano, the 2012 driving and training champ, captured the second (Cannae Barron), fifth (Armbro Doyle), sixth (Ulay Boko), eighth (Mchoffman) and 11th (Keystone Sapphire) events. The 61-year-old horseman also chalked up a second-place finish and a trio of thirds while raising his leading win count for the meet to 57 and his top training total to 25.
The trotters Ulay Boko, owned by Maryann Plano, and Don Dinero, registered to owner and trainer Jenny Melander, each collected their fifth Vernon victories of 2013 and moved into a tie with the square-gaiter Hold On Tightly and pacer Canaco Star for most equine scores through June 28.
Saturday’s 13-race program, which celebrates Vernon’s 60th anniversary season with a commemorative T-shirt promotion, an expense-paid trip giveaway to the prestigious Hambletonian Stake, and a $500 betting voucher prize for some lucky fan, will get underway at 6:45 p.m.
(Vernon Downs)