Leading driver Josh Marks went from scheduled onlooker to five-race winner during Monday afternoon’s special make-up program at Vernon Downs
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Not programmed for any event on Monday’s 12-race card at the start of the day, Marks suddenly found himself catch-driving in 11 events, including the day’s $10,000 featured ninth contest with track record-holder Stonebridge Wish.
Leaving from the outside five post, the favourite Stonebridge Wish wired the Miracle Mile-1 field in convincing fashion, scoring in 1:52 to secure his third local tally and 11th lifetime victory. He paid $4.20 to win.
Tracy Brainard’s owned and trained seven-year-old son of Camluck-Star Crusher had cruised to a 1:49.4 triumph on June 5 that rewrote the Vernon record for aged pacing geldings, and tied the all-time track standard, established by the pacer My Little Dragon in 2008.
Marks and Brainard also combined to capture Monday’s Miracle Mile-2 contest with He Means Business (in 1:51.4), the MM-3 class with Revolutionary Foe (1:52) and a $4,000 claiming race with Fit Happens (1:55).
Marks also won MM-4 event with Lightning Prince (1:51.2) for trainer Jennifer Sansone and owner James Topper. At the half-way mark (45 programs) in Vernon’s 57th season, the 2008 champ (114 victories) leads in wins with 95, while Brainard, who established a local conditioning record with 101 wins in 2008, tops all trainers with 42 first-place finishes.
Defending driving champ Jimmy Whittemore, currently second in this year’s standings with 55 victories, won two of Monday’s 12 races, as did former Downs provisional driving kingpin Chris Lems, who is third presently in first-place finishes at the meet with 48.
(Vernon Downs)