by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media
Gingras sweeps Zweig stakes with Pinkman and Mission
Brief
Vernon, N.Y. -- When Yannick Gingras makes an appearance at
Vernon Downs, he has a strong tendency to be mightily successful on the
racetrack. Such was the case on Sunday (July 26) afternoon, when he swept
the filly and colt divisions of the Harry M. Zweig Memorial stakes.
In the $185,000 Zweig for 3-year-old trotting fillies,
Gingras settled Mission Brief ($2.60, part of entry) into the third spot out of
her midpack post, tracking Wild Honey (John Campbell) and Magic Marker (Brian
Sears) through a :27 initial quarter before brushing to the fore at race's
midpoint. Just as Wild Honey slackened through a :56.1 half mile, Mission
Brief charged past, opening up her lead to two lengths on the far turn.
The daughter of Muscle Hill and Southwind Serena would hold that margin through
a :55.3 final half, defeating Wild Honey in 1:51.4. Magic Marker stayed
on to be third, while Gatka Hanover (Brett Miller) rallied mildly off cover to
take fourth.
Ron Burke trains Mission Brief for the Burke Racing Stable,
Our Horse Cents Stables, the J&T Silva Stables, and Weaver Bruscemi.
Now a 12-time winner, Mission Brief has amassed $791,417 in career earnings.
A mere hour after Mission Brief asserted herself in the
$185,000 Zweig division for 3-year-old trotting fillies, Pinkman ($2.10, part
of entry) found room up the inside to strike late from a pocket trip in the
$370,000 Zweig event for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
Beginning from post 7 as part of a four-horse Jimmy
Takter-trained entry, Pinkman left strongly, stringing out Habitat (Brian
Sears) in the early going before yielding to stablemate Canepa Hanover (Takter)
after a :27.3 initial quarter. The gelded son of Explosive Matter and
Margie Seelster drafted comfortably behind his stablemate through a :56.1
middle half, but was boxed at the apex of the far turn when Habitat attempted a
first-over bid. With racing room at a premium in upper stretch, Pinkman
found room up the inside, passing Canepa Hanover in the final sixteenth.
He prevailed by three-quarters of a length in 1:52, a stakes record.
Canepa Hanover held second, while Workout Wonder (Daniel Dubé) rallied late to
take third past Wings of Royalty (Tim Tetrick).
Also taking career win number 12, Pinkman stretched his
career bankroll to $1,187,139 for Christina Takter, John Fielding, Jim
Fielding, Joyce McClelland, and Herb Liverman.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday (July 31)
evening, with first post at 6:45 p.m. Eastern time.
