Emoticon Legacy, Canada's fastest three-year-old trotter of all time, outlasted 2024 Dan Patch and O'Brien Award winner Maryland to capture the $438,356 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial for sophomore trotters at Vernon Downs on Thursday, July 3.
Meshuggah (Scott Zeron) led to the quarter in :26.3 before ceding the front to Onajetplane (Andy McCarthy), who took over the lead heading to the backstretch. Emoticon Legacy then made his move first-up for Louis-Philippe Roy heading down the backside and landed on the front at the half in :55.1. Maryland (Dexter Dunn) then launched from sixth heading around the final turn, advancing through three-quarters in 1:24.1. As they made the turn for home the race was on, with Emoticon Legacy and Maryland battling it out. Maryland made marginal gains down the lane, but Emoticon Legacy held him off to prevail by a length in 1:51.4. Meshuggah finished third.
Emoticon Legacy, a homebred colt by Walner out of double Breeders Crown champion Emoticon Hanover, is trained by Luc Blais for Determination of Montreal, Que. He broke the Canadian record for a three-year-old trotter and tied the all-age record when he won the Goodtimes in his last start on June 14. The colt is perfect in three starts in 2025 and is seven-for-10 overall with $568,315 in earnings. He paid $3.30 to win.
Torrisi beat odds-on favourite What A Bid Hanover in a thriller in the $184,931 Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial Filly Trot.
Longshot Shes A Shoe In (Mark MacDonald) pressed forward to take the lead in a :26.2 opening panel. Torrisi ($24.20) then took over the front for Yannick Gingras before the half in :56.2, when Voguish (Todd McCarthy) drew alongside the leader before making a break. Torrisi was back in front entering the final turn, when What A Bid Hanover (Ake Svanstedt) came first-up and put her neck in front at three-quarters in 1:25.2. What A Bid Hanover and Torrisi traded blows all the way down the stretch, and Torrisi dug in and used one late surge to win by a neck in a lifetime-best 1:54. My Debt Collecter (Tyler Buter) finished third.
Torrisi is a Walner-Barn Girl filly trained by Nancy Takter for owners Caviart Farms of Vienna, Va., Pryde Stables Inc. of North York, Ont., John Fielding of Scarborough, Ont., and Herb Liverman of Miami Beach, Fla. The win was her first of the year in three attempts and her second lifetime in 13 starts. She has earned $399,003.
Driver Matt Kakaley and owner Odds On Racing swept the two New York Sire Stakes divisions for two-year-old pacing fillies with a pair of debutantes.
Odds On Enigma charged late to capture the $76,027 first division. She sat fourth as Miss Genie Mae (Tyler Buter) cut the quarter in :28 and Savage Cindy (Jason Bartlett) took over command to lead to the half in :56.3 and three-quarters in 1:25.2. As they reached the stretch, eventual place finisher Miss Genie Mae came out of the pocket and began to rally, but Odds On Enigma ($14.60) came flying three-wide and rolled by her late to win by a neck in 1:54.2. Savage Cindy had to settle for third.
Scott Di Domenico trains Odds On Enigma, a Huntsville-Yellow Diamond filly, whom Odds On Racing of Boca Raton, Fla. bought for $101,351 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
In the $77,397 second division, Odds On Monetary ($20.40) pushed out from post six to lead to the quarter in :26.3, and she put up middle splits of :56.4 and 1:26.2 with Onaorchardhunt (Mark Herschberger) coming into contention first-over into the final turn. Odds On Monetary shrugged off that rival widened the lead, finishing strong to score by a length in 1:55.1. Party Pumps (Braxten Boyd) came on late to finish second over American Cheese (Zeron).
Odds On Monetary, a daughter of Huntsville-All On Top Hanover, is trained by Travis Alexander for Odds On Racing. She was purchased for $270,270 from the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
There were also four $27,397 divisions of the Excelsior Series for rookie pacing fillies.
Teton Beauty ($8.20), a Huntsville-Thirty X filly, took the first in 1:55.2, front-stepping to victory for trainer Di Domenico and owners William Hartt and Triple D Stables.
American Shine ($24.80) wired her foes in the second split in a 1:55 score with Gingras driving for trainer Blake MacIntosh, who co-owns the American Ideal-Platinum Choice filly with Hutt Racing Stable, Ozzie Mackay, and Gilles Landry.
Patriot Miss ($2.80) powered out of the pocket take the third split, getting home in 1:54.4 as the American Ideal-Big City Betty miss won for driver Andy McCarthy, trainer Roland Mallar, and owner Jeffrey Nanna.
Long Shore ($3.30) proved much the best in the final division, winning in 1:55.1 with Todd McCarthy in the sulky. Joe Pavia Jr. trains the daughter of American Ideal-Butchie Beach for Vincent Ferriero Jr., Dominic Pavia, Eric Prevost, and Todd Frocione.
Vernon Downs will host its next card of live racing on Friday with a post time of 5:05 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)