The oily-gaited Pacinello produced a track record while Freds Dream extended his winning streak to five in one of five late-closing divisions for New York-bred three-year-old male trotters at Vernon Downs on Saturday night
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Competing in Saturday’s $10,000 ninth race, the week’s Open-1 contest, Pacinello ($19.20) took advantage of fast early fractions (a half in :55.2), rallied to the lead from third on the backstretch and rolled to a solid 1:50.2 score, that set a new Vernon standard for aged pacing horses. The previous 1:51.1 mark was set by Going To The Beach in 2002, and equalled by Diamond Stick Pin in this same event two weeks ago.
It was one of three tallies on Saturday’s 10-race card for driver Luke Plano, who did the teaming for his dad, trainer Rick Plano, and the D&E Racing Stable. The time equalled the five-year-old horse’s lifetime mark, set last season at The Meadowlands.
Saturday’s score by the brown son of Little Steven-Princess Kiara was the second locally this season, the fourth on the current campaign and 24th all-time. He’s currently a career winner of more than $268,600.
Plano’s other winners came behind his day’s-trained pacers Shamderock (1:52) in the second session and Hay Goodlooking (1:51.2) in the seventh event.
Freds Dream kept his win streak alive and lowered his speed mark to 1:57.3 in second flight of Saturday’s $61,700 New York Sires Stakes-sponsored test. The Bill Bailey-steered favourite sat in the pocket for most of the mile, then closed in the final furlong for a two-length tally, his second late-closing triumph during the month. Ann Yurenka conditions the son of Giant Hit-Minute Rice for Mary K. Apker.
Saturday’s other late-closing winners were Mystical Mikel (Conway Hall-Fancy Crown) in 1:57.4 with Lewayne Miller driving for trainer/part-owner Kimberly Burris and Joseph Budney; House On Fire (Conway Hall-Housethatruthbuilt) in 1:58.4 with trainer Ray Schnittker steering for his ownership partner, the House On Fire Stable; Ridethewind Chrys (Cash Hall-Malhana Glorious Winner Copperhead in 1:57.3 with Frank Milby teaming for owner and trainer Jeffrey Rose; and Glorious Winner (Credit Winner-Fox Valley Flan) in 1:58 with Miller again in the sulky, this time for trainer Erv Miller and the Tanah Merah Farms.
(With files from Vernon Downs)