by Jim Moran, for Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — Freshly-minted Breeders Crown champion Buck I St Pat and driver Tim Tetrick lived up to their advance billing during Monday’s (Sept. 7) matinee program at Vernon Downs.

Buck I St Pat ($2.50) and Tetrick turned in an exciting 1:54.3 victory in Monday’s $139,500 Conway Hall contest, establishing a track record for older trotting mares, and helping Tetrick, one of the Standardbred sport’s top reinsmen, to achieve a meet-high six wins during the Labor Day 10-race card.

Fotowon photo

Buck I St Pat won the Conway Hall in 1:54.3, a track record for older trotting mares.

With stablemate Diana Hall leading to the quarter in :27.4, Buck I St Pat idled in fifth place. After Lavec Dream took over and advanced the field to the half in :57.3 and the third station in 1:27, the 6-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse-Name It Something found herself parked out in sixth place. She then shifted into her explosive closing gear, and roared through the homestretch, making up more than three lengths in a :26.4 final quarter and earning a one length score over Lavec Dream, driven by owner and trainer Peter Kleinhans. Autumn Escapade (Ray Schnittker) finished third.

The tally by the Ron Burke-trainee was the second in a row, seventh in 13 season’s starts and 38th overall for the career-winner of more than $1.3 million, who is registered to the Ron Fuller, Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold and Abraham Basen ownership contingent. The time clipped two-fifths of a second off the previous Vernon record for veteran trotting mares, established by Mystical Sunshine in 2006.

Tetrick also steered Scorpion Moon to a 1:53.4 score for conditioner Tracy Brainard and her ownership partner, Andrew Herzog, in Monday’s $9,000 Open Handicap Trot, which equaled the fastest mile by a square-gaiter after 65 current programs. It was one of four first-place finishes during the afternoon for the track’s defending training champ.

Brandnewgirlfriend improved her career record to 23 wins in 27 starts with a 1:56.3 triumph in Monday’s opening division of a $207,304 New York Sires Stakes showdown for 3-year-old filly trotters. The front-striding score made it 12 victories in 14 current attempts for the brown daughter of Conway Hall-Tiffany Gold, who was handled by Brian Mattison and is trained by co-owner Paul Kelley for his partners Stephen Michaels, Jim Winske and the East Pond Stable.

The afternoon’s other NYSS winners were Michelle’s Way (Conway Hall-Miss Michelle) in 1:56.1 for driver Brent Holland, trainer Ken Rucker and owner Marcos Ameralis; Gift Card (Credit Winner-Mary Lou Hall) in 1:56.2 for Tetrick, trainer Frank Antonacci and owners K. R. Breeding, Robert Rudolph and Gary Hoffman; and Winbak Roberta (Plesac-Summer Belle) in 1:56.4 for driver Pat Berry, trainer Gregg DeSanto and the Italian group Scuderia OM.

Tetrick also teamed Western Tsunami to a 1:51.2 tally in Monday’s $9,000 Open Handicap Pace for trainer Brainard and the Just Luck Stable. His other first-place finishes came behind Brainard’s trotter Eng-amer Davanti (1:54.2) and her trainee D’artagnan (1:53.2), who is owned by Frank and Inge Smith and former Vernon regular Veral Bowman.

Downs Doings: The trotters Baileysirishdream (on June 26) and Brick (July 10) have also won in 1:53.4 during the meet…Vernon’s all-time single program record for driving victories is seven, established by Jim Morrill, Jr. last year…There won’t be any live racing at the Downs this Thursday (Sept. 10), but there will be 6:55 p.m. programs on Friday and Saturday (Sept. 11-12). Thursday live racing will resume on Sept. 17…Additional information can be obtained at www.vernondowns.com.