The veteran pacer Western Tsunami wired six select rivals to win Saturday night’s $8,500 Junior Open at Vernon Downs.
With newcomer Mike Cole at the controls, Western Tsunami ($8.60) flashed to the front off the gate and stayed in command throughout Saturday’s featured eighth event, defeating Restless Yankee by half a length in a 1:51.4 achievement.
Saturday’s strong showing marked the second local score, the fourth season’s victory and the 44th all-time triumph for the nine-year-old son of Western Hanover-Rons Girl, who is shared in ownership by trainer Tracy Brainard and Andrew Herzog.
Cole went on to captured the evening’s 12th race with the trotter Stonetag (1:57.4) and earn a double in his Downs debut, while Western Tsunami’s tally marked the meet-leading 65th victory for defending conditioning champ Brainard.
Leading driver Rick Plano accumulated seven scores during the week to raise his teaming count to 121, and he also bumped his training tally to 63 with a first-place finish behind the pacer Oozies Bad Boy in race five.
Frank Davis also delivered a driving double during the track’s 76th program.
(Vernon Downs)