Vernon Racing Recap - Thursday, May 19, 2016
by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media
Vernon, N.Y. -- The J P Stables' All Charged Up ($4.60) made
all the pace en route to a 1:51.2 triumph in Thursday (May 19) evening's
featured $8,500 Mares Open Pace at Vernon Downs, and the 50¢ Pick 5 yielded a
dividend of $3,044.75, the highest to date for the new offering at the Miracle
Mile.
Trainer-driver John MacDonald wasted no time with All
Charged Up, sprinting clear from midfield to clear Keene Olivia (Chris Lems)
through a :26.3 first quarter before easing the tempo down through middle
splits of :56 and 1:23.2. At no point did the 5-year-old Ponder mare face any
pressure, in fact edging away off the far turn to amass four length clearance
on Keene Olivia. While Keene Olivia labored amid her chase, Love Live Laugh
(Jimmy Whittemore) mounted a bid to take second in mid-stretch, checking in
2-3/4 lengths in arrears of All Charged Up in the end. Third-place finisher
Keene Olivia and also-rans Kelli Rachelle, Shutthefrontdoor, and Little
Santamonica were all covered by no more than a length.
For MacDonald, the win was one of two on the night. Chris
Lems led all drivers with a hat trick on the 10-race card.
While favorites accounted for the last three winners in the
night's 50¢ Pick 5 sequence, a 15-1 last-to-first upset by Tiger Boudoir
(Truman Gale) in the first leg buoyed a $3,044.75 dividend. The Vernon Pick 5
is offered on the last five races of each card.
Trotting colts contest Sire Stakes Saturday
While an 11-race Friday (May 20) card is slated for a 6:45
p.m. post time, top New York-sired 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings will
converge on the Miracle Mile on Saturday (May 21) evening in a pair of $61,300
New York Sire Stakes events. Allerage Echo (Jim Morrill, Jr.) and
Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley), first and second in last year's $225,000 New
York Sire Stakes final, renew their rivalry in the sixth-race first division,
while eight-time winner Dayson (Morrill) and Dexter Cup winner Dante (Oskar
Florhed) headline the eighth-race second division.
