Vernon Downs will host three
Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) races for 3-year-old trotters on Saturday (July
4) at 1 p.m.
There will be two divisions for
sophomore trotting colts and geldings. Both divisions will race for a
purse of $97,750.
In the first division, the Steven
Pratt trained Barn Holden (Jim Morrill Jr) looks to be the horse to beat.
In a leg of the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) last week the colt by Conway Hall
faded in the stretch to finish third after leading most of the race.
He has two wins in 2020 and five career victories with earnings of over
$135,000.
His main rival will be the Julie
Miller trained Book Seven (Andy Miller). The Chapter Seven colt is one
for one in 2020 with a lifetime best mark of 1:56.3 last week at
Tioga. He has six lifetime wins and has earned over $85,000 in his career
Third Shift (Ake Svanstedt) and
Berkery J (Scott Zeron) are set to face off in the second division of the
EBC, Both are coming off of NYSS wins at Vernon Downs last
week.
Third Shift (Chapter Seven) won
the ($225,000) NYSS final for freshmen colts & geldings. He looked
real sharp in his 2020 debut last week winning in a lifetime best of
1:54.3. Trained by Svanstedt, he has earned over $210,000 including four
career wins.
Berkery J (Chapter Seven) came
flying late to win last week in a lifetime best time of (1:54.2) in his first
start of 2020. The George Ducharme trained colt has four career wins and
earnings of over $176,000.
Chaptiama (Chapter Seven) should
be their main competition. Trained and driven by Trond Smedshammer, the
colt came charging late to finish a close second to Berkery J at Tioga.
She has two lifetime victories and nearly $200,000 in earnings.
11 fillies will square off in the
$207,250 EBC for sophomore filly trotters.
Hypnotic AM (Brian Sears) is the
top money earner in the group with nearly $500,000 in the bank. Marcus
Melander trains the filly by Chapter Seven. As a freshman she finished
first in the $225,000 NYSS final and a decent third place finish in the
Breeders Crown. She is one for one in 2020 with an impressive NYSS win at
Tioga Downs last week. She is eight for ten in her career.
Senorita Rita (Scott Zeron) will
be making her 3-year-old debut. She had a sensational freshman season
with wins in the $475,000 Goldsmith Maid final and the $251,000 Kindergarten
Classic final (both at the Meadowlands). Linda Toscano trains the
filly by Chapter Seven. She has six career wins and earnings of over
$410,000.
Morning line favorite, Love
A Good Story (Andy Miller) is coming off a lifetime best of 1:53.0 in her
3-year-old debut at Tioga Downs last week in a leg of the NYSS. The
sophomore filly by Chapter Seven is trained by Julie Miller. She has
eights career wins and has amassed over $260,000 in her career.
There will also be two divisions
of the NYSS for freshman pacing fillies. Both divisions will race for a
purse of $53.100.
Post time for the 15-race card on
Saturday (July 4) is 1:10 p.m. Vernon Downs will race on Thursdays and Saturdays
for the rest of July at 4 p.m. They will race on Friday (July 10) with a
4 p.m. post time as well.
For more information go to www.vernondowns.
