Vernon, NY --- Southwind Samurai recorded the fastest trotting mile of this 57th season at Vernon Downs while capturing the $234,900 filly flight of the Empire Breeders Classic for 3-year-olds in 1:54.4 on Memorial Day afternoon. Strong Hope was a 1:55.2 upset winner in the earlier $235,900 colt/gelding clash.
Pat Berry did the steering for trainer Bjorn Noren as Southwind Samurai went right to the front in the eighth event and churned out fractions of :26.4, :57.3 and 1:26.4 en route to a determined 1-1/4 length victory over the favorite, Impressive Kemp. She paid $9.00 to win.
The career-best performance enabled the bay daughter of Conway Hall-Southwind Seasons to remain undefeated after two current outings. Italy’s Scuderia S. Giuliano owns the lifetime winner of $207,104.
With Hall of Famer Ron Pierce steering for trainer Noel Daley, Strong Hope rallied from fifth in a :28.3 final quarter to catch and defeat the pacesetting Whata Winner by a head in Monday’s sixth session. He paid $33.60 for finishing first.
Strong Hope’s personal best effort resulted in his first current victory and second in 12 lifetime starts. The bay son of CR Excalibur-Spring Lane has now returned $187,599 to his breeder and owner, Winbak Farms.
The favored Munis Blue Chip rallied from fourth at the half to earn a career best 1:57.1 score in Monday’s $12,500 filly consolation race for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker, who owns the bay daughter of Credit Winner-Hustle N Muscle along with Steve Arnold, Jerry Silva and Blue Chip Bloodstock, Inc.
The Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, the New York Stallion Owners, Tioga and Vernon Downs sponsor the Empire Breeders Classic.
Daley Deposit Only front-ended his way to a solid 1:52.2 triumph in Monday’s $9,100 fifth race, the weekend’s Class A Miracle Mile pace. Trainer Dan Daley drove for his wife (Ann-Mari) and her partners, Jared Daley, Richard Lombardo and Robert Pergament as the swift-footed gelding increased his all-time earnings to $203,284.
Downs Doings: Southwind Samurai’s clocking clipped one-fifth of a second off Vernon’s previous season’s trotting standard, shared by Sharpshootennorris and Whata Winner. Her time was just three-fifths off the track record for sophomore trotting fillies, set by Personal Banner while winning the Breeders Crown championship here in 1996…Tim Tetrick won three of Monday’s 11 races, while Berry and trainer Dave Dewhurst were each credited with two program tallies…Berry’s win behind the pacer Up Front Rudy enabled the 6-year-old pacer to join fellow side-wheelers Bet The Ranch and Pickmeamerigold and trotter Sharpshootennorris as the meet’s only four-time winners through 17 programs…Vernon will present live racing at 6:55 p.m. Thursday-Saturday nights this week…Additional information regarding the track’s 57th season and its casino can be obtained at www.vernondowns.com.