by Jim Moran, Vernon Downs

VERNON, NY—Driver Ruel “Dude” Goodblood, Jr. shared the limelight with the trotter Theater Production and the pacer South Park Hanover during Saturday night’s (Sept. 16) harness racing action at Vernon Downs.

Goodblood, a past multiple driving champion at the Downs, collected four wins during Saturday’s 10-race program, including a 1:56.3 victory with Theater Production in the evening’s $7,000 featured test for practitioners of the diagonal gait.

South Park Hanover lived up to his top billing with a 1:53.2 triumph in the night’s $8,000 feature for laterally gaited performers.

Theater Production made every pole a winning one while posting a five-and-a-quarter length triumph in the night’s first race. It was the second season’s score for the seven-year-old gelding, who has earned more than $207,000 during his productive career for owner Robert Blackman, Jr. Dude’s wife, Whitney, trains the quick-footed son of Movie Mogul.

South Park Hanover, who went to the post as the crowd betting favorite, overcame an early challenge for the lead before taking charge in the first turn and hustling to a two-and-three-quarter length triumph over Allamerican Apache. Last Saturday’s featured pace winner Smoky Bonz was third.

Mark Beckwith, using borrowed red and white colors, sat in for trainer Chuck Connor, Jr. and guided South Park Hanover to his sixth score in 2006. Connor, Theodore Gewertz, Martha and Milton Frank own the four-year-old son of Artsplace, who has lifetime winnings that are currently just shy of $100,000.

In becoming the first driver to post four wins on a single program at the six-night old meet, Connor also earned first-place finishes with the pacers Mr. Cammander, The Firecam, and the trotter Chick Flick.

DOWNS DOINGS—Jimmy Whittemore, competing at Vernon for the first time, posted wins with the trotter Moonlight Lilly and pacer Chianaglia…Stanley “Chip” Zombick, Jr., who suffered a broken ankle in a racing mishap here last Thursday night, got a lift when catch-driver Tim Lanpher steered his pacer Clinton Longshot to a 1:57.1 triumph in Saturday’s second race…Vernon’s fourth week of live competition will begin at 6:50 on Thursday night (Sept. 21)…The Downs will add Friday night racing to its fall schedule from Sept. 22 through Oct. 13…The track is also offering daily simulcasts starting at 11 a.m.