She’s attracted quite the fan base after four very impressive starts this year, and now Atlanta is ready to give her followers some more.
Vernon Downs will host two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies this Thursday (July 19). One of those dashes will feature the anticipated return of Atlanta, the ‘Miracle Mile’s trotting track record holder
Atlanta (PP8, Scott Zeron, 2-1) has been installed as the morning line choice for the $61,300 second division, which has been carded as Race 9. The last time the three-year-old Chapter Seven filly took to the track at Vernon she captured the $238,613 Empire Breeders Classic final in a trotting track record 1:50.3. She easily beat fellow rival Plunge Blue Chip by four and a half lengths that day.
Plunge Blue Chip would later go on to post a world-record 1:49.4 clocking for three-year-old trotters of either sex at the Meadowlands Racetrack. She turned the trick this past Saturday night (July 14) during her $128,500 division of the Del Miller Memorial.
Atlanta, who is trained by Rick Zeron for owners Holland Racing Stable, Howard Taylor, and Brad Grant, is four-for-four as a sophomore. Her last time out (June 24), she won a leg of the NYSS at Tioga Downs, where she easily beat Plunge Blue Chip once again, and lowered the track record for three-year-old trotting fillies to 1:52.1 in the process.
Her toughest competitor Thursday could be the morning line’s 3-1 second choice, Lucky Ava, who is to be driven by Ake Svanstedt. Lucky Ava is part of a Svanstedt-trained entry along with Fury Road (to be driven by Dan Dube).
Lucky Ava, by Lucky Chucky, is owned by Savanstedt, Little E LLC, and Van Camp Trotting Corp. She has recorded four wins from seven starts thus far in 2018. She has won NYSS races at Yonkers, Monticello, and Buffalo.
In the first NYSS division, the morning line favourite is Lima Novelty (PP1, Scott Zeron, 2-1). A filly by Chapter Seven, Lima Novelty is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano. She has recorded three wins thus far in 2018. Lima Novelty has won the Mary Reynolds Stakes at the Meadowlands and a NYSS contest at Buffalo.
Vernon’s nine-race Thursday card will get underway at 6:10 p.m.
(With files from Vernon Downs)