by Jim Moran, publicity director, Vernon Downs
Vernon, NY — The consistent pacer Raining Again and driver Howie Okusko, Jr. continued to impress during Saturday night’s live harness racing action at Vernon Downs.
Despite a jump up in class, Raining Again remained unbeaten in six season’s starts with a 1:543 victory in Vernon’s seventh race, the week’s $5,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Okusko, the meet’s leading race-winning driver with 27 first place finishes, recorded his second three win night in a row.
Bill Bailey did the teaming for trainer Howard Okusko, Sr. in the night’s feature and, after sitting fifth to the half, let Raining Again have his head over the final four-eighths of the mile contest. The game three-year-old colt cruised to fourth at the third station, then third at the top of the stretch and he accelerated in the homestretch to out-foot Oil Patch to the finish by one and a quarter lengths. The race’s pace-setter Little Boy Joe held on for third.
While extending the meet’s longest winning streak to six, the Gordon Rumpel-owned bay son of On The Road Again raised his lifetime earnings to $21,135. He was winless in five starts at two.
In posting his second “Hat Trick” at the meet, Okusko scored with Alan Schwartz’s front-ending three-year-old filly Iroquoindianscent in 2:001, with Sally Norcross’ veteran pacer Renotherenegade in 1:59, and the Allister Stable’s seasoned trotter Broke Even in 1:592.
Ruel (Dude) Goodblood, Jr. earned his fifth double of the meet behind the pacers Paradise Magic and How Forever Feels and gained an 18-17 edge over Jack Race for the number two spot on the meet’s race-winning chart.
Vernon’s next live harness program will be Thursday, June 10 at 7:00 p.m.