Chris Lems availed race favourite Titus Seelster a clear pocket trip off a fast pace in the featured $6,500 top-level Miracle Mile pacing event at Vernon Downs on Saturday evening, making his winning move in the last eighth of a 1:49.4 mile.
The five-year-old Artistic Fella gelding was the only one able to keep up with the blistering pace set by Modern Gesture (Jimmy Whittemore), drafting intently off splits of :25.1, :53.4, and 1:22.2. Just upon cornering for home, Lems tipped Titus Seelster off the pegs, urging him to the fore in mid-stretch and edging away by 1-1/4 lengths in the end. Runner-up Modern Gesture was a farther 9-1/4 lengths clear of Fox Valley Cadet (John MacDonald), who passed a tiring A Fool for Mark (Dustin Ingraham) for third.
Jackie Rousse trains 16-time winner Titus Seelster for the Kellogg Racing Stables, LLC.
John MacDonald padded his lead in the driver standings with yet another hat trick, giving him 10 over the last three cards. MacDonald teamed up with odds-on choices Ring Leda ($3.20, 1:53.3), Columbia Lion ($3.60, 1:57.2) and Aloneinspades ($3.70, 1:52.3).
The 50¢ Pick 5 returned $550.50, buoyed by 8-1 winner JDs Brent N Sheree and 11-1 outsider Mr Wiskers both prevailing in the sequence.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Thursday evening, with the first of 10 races due off at 6:45 p.m.
(Vernon Downs)