Lifetime marks fall for Vernon’s Open pacers
September 30, 2007,by Jim Moran for Vernon Downs
VERN0N, NY – Soldier Boy, You Bet Your Glass and Daibin N were Open pace winners at Vernon Downs on Saturday night, Sept. 29.
Soldier Boy posted a 1:52.3 victory in the week’s $10,000 Open-1 contest, You Bet Your Glass gave driver Josh Marks a triple on the evening with his 1:52.4 score in Saturday’s $9,000 Open-2 showdown, while Daibin N tied Soldier Boy for quickest mile of the night honors with his 1:52.3 tally in the $8,000 Open-3 confrontation.
Leaving from the outside eight post in Saturday’s ninth race, Soldier Boy, who had finished second in four of his last five starts, including his last two in succession, rallied from third at the half into the lead on the backstretch, and went on to record a one-length triumph, his third of the season. Angus Mac Donald did the driving for trainer John Minckler and owner/breeder Patricia Crawford as the 5-year-old son of Rambaran hung up a new speed-mark and raised his career earnings to $41,672.
Marks, the meet’s second-leading dash-winning reinsman, gave You Bet Your Glass a perfect steer, keeping the 4-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight in the pocket until the final strides in the 11th event, then urging him on to a neck triumph over the pace-setting favorite Life Sizzles. As fourth choice in the wagering, the Arnie Marks trainee returned $14.00 to win. Arnie Marks shares ownership of the horse with William Williams, Jr.
The time equaled You Bet Your Glass’s lifetime mark and it enabled the career winner of $76,000 to post his third local tally and fifth triumph of 2007.
Marks also did the teaming behind Daibin N, who sat in second place until the turn for home, then came on to defeat the pace-setting crowd wagering choice, Wealth Manager, by three-quarters of a length. It was the third Vernon victory and fifth score of the season for the 6-year-old son of Iraklis, who lowered his personal best time for the mile by one and one-fifth seconds. Joe De Carlo trains the career winner of $35,397 for the M D K Racing Stable.
Marks also won with the El Lobo Llc pacer Annivesary Guy in 1:55.2 en route to his seventh hat trick of the meet. After 69 programs, he trails race-winning leader Howard Okusko, Jr. by eight first-place finishes.