Vernon Downs will host a $118,000 leg of the of New York
Sire Stakes (NYSS) for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Thursday (August 8).
There is only one division racing on Thursday but the field
is loaded. It features last year’s 2-year-old trotting filly of the year
Woodside Charm (Verlin Yoder). The Chapter Seven filly is owned and
trained by Yoder and listed as the 5-2 morning line favorite She was a
perfect seven for seven as a freshman including a brilliant win in the $600,000
Breeders Crown a season ago. She has only raced once as a sophomore
suffering her only career loss in The $40,000 Start Destroyer Stakes at Hoosier
Park on June 26th. She was second to Grand Swan (Swan For
All). She looks for her first win as a 3-year-old on Thursday.
Her stiffest competition looks to be the Richard Banca
trained Quincy Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr.). The filly by Chapter Seven
has six wins as a sophomore including a victory in the $209,500 Empire Breeders
Classic (EBC) at Vernon Downs in May. Quincy Blue Chip, who is owned by
Banca along with Barbara and James Boese, comes into Thursday with 10
career trips to the winner’s circle. She is listed as the second choice
at 7-2.
Also in this strong field is last year’s $225,000 2-year-old
NYSS Final winner Winndevie (Jason Bartlett). Trond Smedshammer trains
the filly by Credit Winner for the Purple Haze Stables. She was six for
seven as a freshman with her only loss coming to Woodside Charm during a leg of
the NYSS last season at Saratoga. She has two wins in her seven starts
this season getting NYSS wins at Yonkers and Buffalo. She is at 8-1 on
the morning line.
Other top contenders in the field include the George
Ducharme trained Sensibility (Tyler Buter). She is listed at 9-2.
At 6-1 is Sweet Chapter (Matt Kakaley), who is trained by Blake Macintosh.
The 11 race card will start at 6:10 p.m. There is no
live racing at Vernon Downs on Friday (August 9) because of theCrystal Gayle
and Lee Greenwood concert.
For more information go to www.vernondowns.com
