Regina Dewhurst's Pounce K ($10.80) sprinted clear and never looked back in the top-level $7,500 Miracle Mile Trot at Vernon Downs on Friday (June 3) evening.
Chris Lems vaulted clear with the six-year-old Donato Hanover gelding through a :27.1 quarter-mile, out-sprinting all five of his inside rivals. He would go unchallenged through a comfortable :58 middle half, sprinting clear off the far turn as the first-over Winding Hill (Jimmy Whittemore) worked into second ahead of Keystone Thomas (Robert Leslie), who gapped the pocket off the far turn. Pounce K held clear of Winding Hill by one and a half lengths in the end, completing the mile in 1:53.4 over fast going. Odds-on favourite War Hero (Howard Okusko Jr.) stalked Winding Hill's cover en route to a third-place finish.
David Dewhurst trains Pounce K. For driver Lems, the featured win was one of three on the nine-race program, with the other two aboard Reve Royale ($3.80, 1:55.1) and Winbak Meadow ($5.30, 1:57).
(Vernon Downs)