Bluesville and Helphasarrived captured the $10,274 conditioned co-features over a track rated good at Vernon Downs on Saturday, June 28.
Bluesville rallied out of the pocket to grab the featured pace. He sat second for Ron Harp as Capt Jack Hanover (John MacDonald) carved out fractions of :27 and :56.1, unchallenged until Excursion (Leon Bailey) attacked first-over to three-quarters in 1:24.2. With those two battling, Bluesville ($10.60) found an opening by the pylons and forged on by to win by a neck in 1:52.3. Capt Jack Hanover had to settle for second money. Major Leaguer (Jimmy Whittemore) finished third.
Bluesville, a six-year-old horse by Huntsville-Dontcrymetheblues, is owned by the Big Sky Ranch and trained by Harp. He is two-for-five this season and has won 21 of 90 career races.
Longshot Helphasarrived, driven by Claude Huckabone Jr., flew late to shock the field in the trotting split. Zapaca (Frank Affrunti) flew off the wings and led through splits of :27.2 and :56.1. Discus Hanover (Bailey) came first-up to challenge as they headed around the final turn and pressed the leader through three-quarters in 1:25.2. As they reached the stretch, Helphasarrived ($71.50) came flying out of fourth and rounded up his rivals, getting by place finisher Zapaca by a half-length to win in 1:56.1. Century Invader (MacDonald) finished third.
Huckabone owns and trains Helphasarrived, a 13-time winner in 76 lifetime starts. The five-year-old Helpisontheway-Reigningblackswan gelding has won three of 13 appearances this year.
Trainer Kayla Lum recorded her first pari-mutuel victory in the finale. The Burlington Flats, N.Y. resident sent out 12-year-old gelding Myells Rockstar, who charged from sixth on the far turn and got up by a nose to win in 1:57 with Joe Nassimos in the bike. Lum is now one-for-two as a trainer after taking stewardship of Myells Rockstar, whom she owns, for her debut on June 19.
Leon Bailey had a driving grand slam. He won with Rockadoodledoo, Mafalda, Wellsze J, and Twin B Kingston.
Vernon Downs will host its next live racing card on Thursday, featuring the Zweig Memorial Trot races with a post time of 5:05 p.m. Fireworks will follow live racing.
(With files from Vernon Downs)