by Jim Moran, for Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — The pacers Feel Like A Fool and Flipper J, as well as the trotter Surface Tension, produced the fastest miles of the season by male freshman performers during Thursday night’s (August 12) New York State Fair racing action at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Feel Like A Fool was a 1:53.2 winner for driver Jim Morrill, Jr.

Feel Like A Fool (Jim Morrill, Jr. driving for owner-trainer George Teague, Jr. and co-owner Kovach Stables) and Flipper J (Jason Bartlett teaming for trainer Linda Toscano and owner Ken Jacobs) each won their respective divisions of the $124,320 2-year-old colt/gelding pace in 1:53.2, while Surface Tension (trainer Dan Daley steering for owners Ann-Mari Daley (Dan’s wife), Richard Lombardo and Albert C. Crawford) captured his flight of Thursday’s $122,400 frosh trot in 1:58.2. The track condition was listed as “good” due to a pre-program rain shower.

Thursday’s other divisional winners in the State Fair 2-year-old male pace were Major Way (in 1:53.3 for driver Bartlett, trainer Toscano and owner Jacobs), Thomas J (in 1:54.3 for driver Bartlett, trainer Toscano and owner Jacobs) and Mat’s Delight (in 1:55.1 for trainer, driver and co-owner Ray Schnittker, and his partner Mathias Meinzinger).

The other State Fair frosh male trotting victors were Typical Newyorker (in 1:58.3 for driver Wally Hennessey, trainer/part-owner John Hallett and fellow owners L. Michelle Oglesby and Roger Doire), Tiger’s Too Good (in 1:58.4 for driver Hennessey, part-owner/trainer Joe Holloway, as well as co-owners Hugh Grant, Jr., L & L Devisser and the Val D’Or Farms), Daleydaydream (in 1:59.4 for driver/trainer Daley, and owners Ann-Mari Daley, Lombardo and Crawford), and Rarely Ordinary (in 2:00 for driver Morrill, Jr., trainer Torgeir Hagmann and owner Kjell Magne Andersen).

Delightful Dancer (Morrill, Jr. teaming for trainer Howard Okusko, Sr. and owner Rocco Manzi) won Thursday’s $11,000 Miracle Mile-1 female pace in 1:54.1.

Downs Doings: The State Fair races for 2-year-olds were moved to Vernon from the Syracuse Fairgrounds…The filly Eight Bells is still the fastest 2-year-old trotter at the 49-program meeting on the basis of a 1:57.4 victory on July 30…Friday’s 12-race card, which starts at 6:55 p.m., will include State Fair divisions of a 2-year-old filly trot and a 2-year-old filly pace…The State Fair races for 3-year-olds will be contested at Tioga Downs on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon…Additional information regarding the track’s 2010 season and its casino can be obtained at www.vernondowns.com.