Vernon, N.Y. -- Availed a clear pocket trip by Chris Lems,
Connie Hochstetler's Southern Girl ($3.40) prevailed as the odds-on favorite in
Thursday (August 25) evening's $7,500 top-level Miracle Mile distaff pace at
Vernon Downs.
With the withdrawal of Jinxy's Delight leaving a field of
four, Southern Girl had no trouble securing the pocket behind early pacesetter
Keene Olivia (Truman Gale), drafting comfortably through early sectionals of
:27.3 and :56.2. Lems angled the 4-year-old Sportsmaster mare off the pegs with
just over a quarter mile to go to avoid being boxed in by Asset Management
(Fern Paquet, Jr.), and the pair made their move to the fore just after Keene
Olivia completed the first three-quarters of the mile in 1:24. At the eighth
pole, Southern Girl had overtaken the fading Keene Olivia, and the now 12-time
winner had enough left to hold Asset Management a half length at bay in 1:51.4.
Always Flash-n (Andy Gardner) was an even third, while Keene Olivia faded to
finish last of the quartet.
For Southern Girl, a Homer Hochstetler trainee, the win was
her third in five starts.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday (August 26)
evening, with first post at 6:45 p.m. Eastern. The 12-race card features the
$193,000 Crawford Farms and $170,000 Muscle Hill trotting events, along
with a pair of New York Sire Stakes events for 2-year-old pacing colts and
geldings.
