Vernon Downs will host three Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) races for three-year-old trotters on Saturday (July 4).
The card's first race will head behind the starter at 1 p.m.
The program will feature a pair of $97,750 divisions for sophomore trotting colts and geldings.
In the first division, the Steven Pratt-trained Barn Holden (to be driven by Jim Morrill Jr) looks to be the horse to beat. In a leg of the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) last week, the son of Conway Hall faded in the stretch to finish third after leading for most of the race. The colt has notched two wins in 2020, five career victories, and has trotted to more than $135,000 in purses.
Barn Holden's main rival will be the Julie Miller-trained Book Seven (Andy Miller). The Chapter Seven colt is one for one in 2020 with a lifetime best mark of 1:56.3 taken last week at Tioga Downs. He has six lifetime wins and has earned over $85,000 in his career.
Third Shift (Ake Svanstedt) and Berkery J (Scott Zeron) are set to face off in the second division of the EBC, and both are coming off of NYSS wins at Vernon Downs last week.
Last year, Third Shift (Chapter Seven) won the $225,000 NYSS final for freshmen colts and geldings. He looked sharp in his 2020 debut last week when he won in a lifetime-best of 1:54.3. Trained by Svanstedt, Third Shift has earned over $210,000 and has notched four career wins.
Berkery J (Chapter Seven) came flying late to win last week in a lifetime-best time of 1:54.2 (the race was the first of his 2020 season). The George Ducharme-trained colt has four career wins and earnings of over $176,000.
It looks as though Chaptiama (Chapter Seven) could be in the mix in the second division. Trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer, the colt came charging late to finish a close second to Berkery J at Tioga. He has two lifetime victories and nearly $200,000 in earnings.
Eleven fillies will square off in the $207,250 EBC for sophomore trotting fillies.
Hypnotic AM (Brian Sears) is the top money earner in the group with nearly $500,000 in the bank. Marcus Melander trains the Chapter Seven filly. As a juvenile, Hypnotic AM finished first in the $225,000 NYSS final and a decent third in the Breeders Crown. She is one for one thus far in 2020 with an impressive NYSS win at Tioga Downs last week. Hypnotic AM is eight for ten in her career.
Senorita Rita (Scott Zeron) will be making her three-year-old debut. She had a sensational juvenile season with wins in the $475,000 final of the Goldsmith Maid and the $251,000 final of the Kindergarten Classic final, both of which took place at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Linda Toscano trains the Chapter Seven filly that has six career wins and earnings of over $410,000.
Morning line favourite Love A Good Story (Andy Miller) is coming off of a lifetime-best 1:53 performance in her three-year-old debut at Tioga Downs last week in a leg of the NYSS. The sophomore Chapter Seven filly is trained by Julie Miller. Love A Good Story has eight career wins and has amassed over $260,000 in her career.
There will also be two divisions of the NYSS for freshman pacing fillies (both divisions will race for a purse of $53,100).
(With files from Vernon Downs)