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Monday’s (August 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Marks wins five at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Leading driver Josh Marks went from scheduled onlooker to five-race winner during Monday afternoon’s special make-up program at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Stonebridge Wish was one of five winning drives for Josh Marks on Monday at Vernon.

Not programmed for any event on Monday’s 12-race card at the start of the day, Marks suddenly found himself catch-driving in 11 events, including the day’s $10,000 featured ninth contest with track record holder Stonebridge Wish.

Leaving from the outside five post, the favorite Stonebridge Wish wired the Miracle Mile-1 field in convincing fashion, scoring in 1:52 to secure his third local tally and 11th lifetime victory. He paid $4.20 to win.

Tracy Brainard’s owned and trained 7-year-old son of Camluck-Star Crusher had cruised to a 1:49.4 triumph on June 5 that rewrote the Vernon record for older pacing geldings, and tied the all-time track standard, established by the pacer My Little Dragon in 2008.

Marks and Brainard also combined to capture Monday’s Miracle Mile-2 contest with He Means Business (in 1:51.4), the MM-3 class with Revolutionary Foe (1:52), and a $4,000 claiming race with Fit Happens (1:55).

Marks also won a MM-4 event with Lightning Prince (1:51.2) for trainer Jennifer Sansone and owner James Topper.

At the halfway mark (45 programs) in Vernon’s 57th season, the 2008 champ (114 victories) leads in wins with 95, while Brainard, who established a local conditioning record with 101 wins in 2008, tops all trainers with 42 first-place finishes.

Defending driving champ Jimmy Whittemore, currently second in this year’s standings with 55 victories, won two of Monday’s 12 races, as did former Downs provisional driving kingpin Chris Lems, who is third presently in first-place finishes at the meet with 48.

— Jim Moran

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
My Old Friend John, piloted and trained by Tom Jackson, turned in the fastest time on the Monday night card at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The 5-year-old stallion edged Bugatti Hanover (Andrew McCarthy) at the line with the timer stopped in 1:51.1. The time was a new life mark for My Old Friend John. Jackson collected another win on the evening with Make It Hot in the ninth race. He trains this winner. Lotta Lightning, coming off four straight second-place finishes at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack, won a $20,000 claiming pace with McCarthy in the bike. Time of this mile was 1:53.3. McCarthy swept the early Daily Double, winning with Old Trafford in the opener for trainer Randy Bendis and with Lotta Lightning, conditioned by Steve Salerno, in the second race of the 16-race card. In the fifth race, McCarthy won with Dreamzzzz R For U for trainer Joe Holloway. It was the 2-year-old Western Hanover offspring’s second life start. Time of the mile was 1:56.4.