by Michael Chamberlain, Vernon Downs Publicity
Drivers Truman Gale and Jimmy Whittemore each scored three
victories on the Labor Day matinee program at Vernon Downs.
Gale picked up victories in the first race with Mass Appeal
(Muscle Mass-Pana Colada), the seventh race with Psyched (Conway
Hall-Psychotherapist), and the tenth and final race with Funny Photo (Classic
Photo-American Jean). Funny Photo was sent off as the even-money favorite and
certainly trotted that way, winning by a comfortable margin of five lengths in
a final time of 1:57.
Whittemore won the third race with the betting favorite, How
Bout Cash (Cash Hall-Hot Chili Girl), the sixth race with Ehi Guaglione
(Camotion-Her Eyes Only), and the eighth race with Jokerman (American
Ideal-Shark Tail). The drive with Jokerman might have been the most impressive
of the day for Whittemore. The horse was sent off at 26-1 and sat last in the
field of seven through the three-quarter mark before weaving through traffic in
the stretch to strike the front before the wire and win, returning $54 for
those who backed him.
The $3,500 feature race on the Monday program was the ninth
race, which was a work of art by the winner Daley Lovin (Conway
Hall-Dreamsrmadeofthis). Trainer-driver Dan Daley sent Daley Lovin immediately
to the lead and was never threatened after that. The colt built up an
eight-length lead through three-quarters and continued to pull away through the
stretch, eventually building a winning margin of sixteen lengths. The fractions
were 27.2 for the quarter, 56.3 for the half, 1:24.3 for three-quarters, and a
final time of 1:53.4.
The complete order of finish for the ninth race was: Daley
Lovin, Sonnewald, Im-A-Gangster, Paradise Paintball, Tellmehowyoulikeit, Lucy,
and Dewlalula.
Daley Lovin is owned by Ann-Mari Daley of Lake Worth,
Florida and Jirl LLC of Yonkers, New York.
