Favourite Vacation Day overcame a parked-out journey to record a 1:55.4 victory in Friday night’s $10,000 featured eighth event, the week’s Open-1 trotting test, at Vernon Downs
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Leaving from Post 5 in a field of six, Vacation Day ($3.60) took the overland route from fourth at the quarter, closed from third in the stretch and overcame the pacesetting Scorpion Moon by a head.
The hard-fought score was the third locally this season, the fourth on the campaign and the 12th all-time for the five-year-old son of Dream Vacation-Shutter Hanover, who is closing in on $130,000 in lifetime earnings. Rick Plano did the steering for trainer Jamie Paquet, who owns the black gelding along with the In Front Racing stable. The winner missed his career win mark by two-ticks of the timer.
Five of Friday’s first-place finishers became two-time winners at the 38-program meeting, while seven earned fresh speed marks.
Vernon’s “Back to the Track” weekend continues with Saturday’s 10-race program, which contains a beach towel giveaway (while supplies last), and a handicap contest, in which the winner will earn a trip to the Little Brown Jug stakes race for three-year-old pacers in the fall at Delaware, Ohio. Saturday’s line-up, which will include three non-betting, exhibition pony races for representatives of the Harness Horse Youth Foundation’s summer camp at the Downs, will begin at 6:20 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)