by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media
After prevailing against similar company a fortnight ago and
finishing a respectable second to Fireyourguns in last week's top pacing event,
Kelly Hope's Stonebridge Master ($3.00) took top honors in Saturday (April 26)
evening's $8,000 Miracle Mile 2 Pace at Vernon Downs, posting a 1:54.2 victory
in going-away fashion over sloppy going.
The eight-year-old Artsplace gelding raced patiently from
off the pace, tracking live cover from Western Trademark (Fern Paquet, Jr.)
before swinging three-wide in upper stretch. At immediate asking from
Aaron Byron, Stonebridge Master powered clear of his four rivals, winning by a
widening 1-1/4 lengths over Western Trademark, while pacesetter Sheer
Brilliance (Claude Huckabone, III) was worn down late, finishing third.
Earlier in the card, a pair of $4,000 second round divisions
of the Anthony Farina Pacing Series were contested, in which William Donovan's
Medusa ($2.30) remained undefeated through three career races. The
three-year-old Bettor's Delight fully controlled a :58 half mile before pushing
clear on the far turn, scoring a 1:55.2 win by a 6-1/2 length margin in rein to
Chris Lems. Joseph Meylan's Stony Brook ($3.30) prevailed in the other
division, scoring a 5-length win in 1:56.1.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Thursday, May 1, with
the first of 10 races scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT. The upcoming Thursday
card marks a switch to a three-night weekly schedule at Vernon, as well as the
beginning of the Showdown Handicapping Contest, worth $1,500 to the last
contestant standing. Visit showdown.vernondowns.com
for further details.
