by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media
It's seemed lately that Yannick Gingras has had the Midas
touch, racking up stakes wins with incredible ease. He continued in that
fashion on Saturday (November 1) evening at Vernon Downs, taking home gold in
three of the four stakes races on the 11-race closing night program.
His stakes hat trick began in the $178,000 Artiscape distaff
pace, where he kept double millionaire Rocklamation ($7.30) off a strenuous
early pace. Second-over on the far turn behind Shelliscape (John
Campbell), Gingras moved the six-year-old Rocknroll Hanover mare three-wide at
head-stretch, drawing clear of the pacesetting Somwherovrarainbow (David
Miller) en route to a three-length 1:50.2 win. Triple millionaire
Anndrovette (Tim Tetrick) faded to fourth after tracking from the pocket
through the race's middle stages.
Ron Burke trains Rocklamation for the Our Horse Cents
Stables, Stable 45, and the J & T Silva Stables.
Gingras came right back in the $240,500 Kindergarten Classic
for two-year-old colts, holding sway wither French Laundry ($5.90) after a
middle move to the fore. Clearing the front just past a :57.1 half mile,
the son of Muscles Yankee and Creamy Mimi held off a first-over challenge from
Airman Batten (Lewayne Miller), subsequently keeping pocket rival Boots N
Chains (Corey Callahan) at bay for a 1-3/4 length triumph in 1:54.4.
Jimmy Takter trains French Laundry for the partnership of
Takter, Fielding, Fielding, Katz, and Libfeld.
The $251,100 Kindergarten Classic for two-year-old fillies
was next on the card, yielding a narrow miss for the Green Hornet--his only
defeat for the evening. Lady Clarabella ($7.10), who scored a 1:54.2
track record performance at Vernon earlier in the season, tracked live cover
from Allerage Star (Corey Callahan) through the far turn, left uncovered in the
stretch. In the final yards, David Miller urged Lady Clarabella to the
fore, having just enough to stave off the late charge of Sarcy (Gingras).
Randy Beeckman trains Lady Clarabella, a daughter of Lear
Jetta and Jet By, for Paul Kinnear and Dreamland Farms.
Gingras rebounded amply in the $178,000 Muscle Hill distaff
trot, retaining his usual drive aboard Maven ($5.10) in her pari-mutuel debut
for trainer Ron Burke, and turning in a sensational track-record effort.
The five-year-old Glidemaster mare took the lead from the sharply-clearing Bee
a Magician (Brian Sears) after :26.3 initial quarter, controlling the
terms through a :57.4 middle half while keeping the first-over Classic Martine
(Tim Tetrick) at bay through the stretch. Maven would not be deined in
the extended battle, defeating Classic Martine by a half length in 1:52, a
track record for older trotting mares.
William Donovan owns the internationally-acclaimed Maven.
Earlier in the card, driving champion Chris Lems and
training champion David Dewhurst were honored in the winner's enclosure, along
with 2014 Vernon Downs Horse of the Year A Penny Earned.
