by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media
Lucid Thoughts upsets in Open; MacDonald triples
VERNON, N.Y. -- A fast pace and a tracking trip both proved
beneficial for the J P Stables' Lucid Thoughts ($20.40), as he had ample late
trot to just nab defending Open winner Stirling Cadet in Friday (April 29)
evening's $9,000 Open Handicap Trot at Vernon Downs.
Trainer-driver John MacDonald secured a close tracking trip
with the 8-year-old Cash Hall gelding, yielding to Stirling Cadet (Jimmy
Whittemore) and Lutetium (Truman Gale) through a sharp :26.3 initial quarter.
Lucid Thoughts would end up locked in through intermediate sectionals of :56
and 1:24.1 by the first-over Pocket Trip (Fern Paquet, Jr.), but found room to
shake free off the corner as the outer tier weakened. Lucid Thoughts vacated
the pegs at head-stretch, working into second over the all-out Lutetium at the
eighth pole and ultimately just collaring Stirling Cadet by half a length for a
1:52.4 triumph, the 28th of his career. Stirling Cadet was valiant in defeat,
holding second by 3-1/2 lengths over Lutetium.
MacDonald's victory with Lucid Thoughts capped a driving hat
trick, as he swept the early double with odds-on winners Elm Grove Inarush
($2.30, 1:52.3) and Have a Parodi ($2.90, 1:55.2).
In the evening's Catherine Burton late-closing series
divisions, Janice Connor trainee Chukkar ($4.30) was the only repeat winner
from last week. Chuck Connor, Jr. drove the 3-year-old Crazed colt to a
hard-fought 1:57.4 win over Golden Son in the first division, while Walk the
Floor ($3.10, Angus MacDonald, 1:57) and Thats a Bad Boy ($18.00, Tyler Freese,
1:57.2) captured the subsequent $4,000 splits.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs with a 13-race card on
Saturday (April 30) evening. First post is slated for 6:45 p.m. EDT.
