by James Witherite, Vernon Downs racing media

Vernon, NY — The opening round of the Catherine Burton late closing series share center stage with a $9,000 Open Trot on opening night at Vernon Downs, and the Miracle Mile unveils its new 50-cent Pick-5 wager in the last five races of Friday (April 22) evening’s program.

A total of 22 horses contest a trio of Catherine Burton divisions on Friday night, each one for a $4,000 purse. Among the standouts are Pompano invader Ado Duharas (race three, John Cummings Jr.), who enters off back-to-back wins; stakes-placed Love Crazy Love (race five, Gaetan Brunet), who took second in her New York Sire Stakes consolation as a 2-year-old; and Royal Right (race 11, Chris Lems), a stakes winner in Massachusetts during her freshman campaign.

The evening’s top event is the $9,000 Open Trot, carded as race nine on the 12-race program. P L Houdini (post three) has been installed the 2-1 morning line favorite after three wins in his last five races, including a 1:55.4 triumph in an upper-level event at Pocono on April 9. John Cummings Jr. drives the 5-year-old Kadabra gelding for trainer Mike Sinclair.

Among his six rivals are Pounce K (Billy Davis Jr., post six), who returns to Vernon for defending training champion Dave Dewhurst, and 26-time winner A Penny Earned (Lems, post five), who proved a consistent contender in the local Open ranks throughout the past two seasons.

The 2016 season at Vernon Downs features a brand new wager to Central New York: the 50-cent Pick-5. The wager will take place on the last five races of each program, with a carryover provision should no bettor correctly select all five winners. Additionally, a mid-card double has been slated for races five and six on a nightly basis.

Post time for the first of 84 programs this season at Vernon Downs is 6:45 p.m. (EDT).