Vernon, N.Y. -- Aided by live three-wide cover from
prohibitive favorite JK Panache, Jet Airway ($29.00) and 24-year-old driver
Atlee Bender teamed up to spring a 13-1 upset in Saturday (August 13) evening's
$10,000 Open/Preferred Handicap Pace at Vernon Downs.
The 5-year-old Jereme's Jet entire dropped to the back of
the quintet early on as Jacksrluckytoo (Greg Merton) sprinted off to establish
a blistering pace. After a :25.4 first quarter, Jacksrluckytoo faced pressure
in the form of 37-1 outsider Modern Gesture (Fern Paquet, Jr.) through middle
splits of :53.3 and 1:21.4. As Jacksrluckytoo worked in an attempt to stave off
his first-over challenger, 1-10 favorite JK Panache (Truman Gale) mounted a
three-wide bid with Jet Airway looming right behind. Ultimately, Jet Airway
circled four-wide off the turn and struck the front at the eighth pole while
the pace imploded. Jet Airway ultimately bested JK Panache by three-quarters of
a length in 1:49.2 over sloppy going, while third-place finisher Modern Gesture
checked in a farther 5-3/4 lengths in arrears.
Trainer Erv Miller co-owns Jet Airway with Tangie Massey,
Paul Sunderhaus, and Larry Agle. For Bender, both of his career driving
victories in but five starts to date came with Jet Airway, now a 14-time
winner.
The card began with a $5,000 C.K.G. Billings series event
for amateur drivers, and Vernon Downs mainstay Celebrity Sitmulus ($9.30) dug
in to hold off a late charge from the pocket-sitting Star Studded Cast in 1:57.
Owner David Glasser drove the Homer Hochstetler trainee, a 6-year-old Cantab
Hall gelding.
Two-year-old trotters take center stage in a Kindergarten
Classic preliminary leg when live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Thursday
(August 18) evening. The first of 13 races is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Eastern.
