by Dustin Ross, for Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — Vernon Downs will host 12 races on Thursday, May 17, with a post time of 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

Spirit Of The Law will be looking for her second win of the season for Theodore Gewertz and Deborah Brunet of New York. Gates Brunet does the training and will also be handling the driving. The 4-year-old daughter of Angus Hall will be making her ninth start of the 2007 season. Two starts back she lowered her lifetime mark at Vernon Downs with a romp in 1:55.3.

Vernon Downs held the draw today for the Saturday, May 19, race card. Entries were due for the elimination of the Conway Hall Open Mare Trot. As only nine were entered into the event, Vernon will not hold an elimination race for the Conway Hall and all nine will be drawn on Wednesday, May 23, for the $133,000 final on Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day). Vernon will have a post time of 1:15 p.m on Memorial Day.

Top trotting mares from around North America dropped into the box this morning to compete to be named Conway Hall Champ. The list of nine trotting stars include Passionate Glide, Pure Ivory, Queen Serene, Buck I St Pat, Mystical Sunshine, Spur Ann E, Three Little Words, Up Front Hotsey, and Cool Muscles.

Buck I St Pat has been super thus far in 2007, winning three of her four seasonal starts, banking more than $80,000 already this year, with a mark of 1:52.4 at The Meadowlands. The 4-year-old daughter of Jailhouse Jesse is owned by Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen, and Robert Fuller. She is trained by 2006 Trainer of the Year Mickey Burke.

Buck I St Pat will butt heads with the 2006 3-year-old trotting filly of the year Passionate Glide for the first time in 2007. Passionate Glide is trained by Jimmy Takter and is owned by Brittany Farms of Versailles, Kentucky.

Making her seasonal debut will be the millionaire Pure Ivory for trainer Bradley Maxwell. The 4-year-old daughter of Striking Sahbra is owned by Jerry Vanboekel, Harry Rutherford, Stephen Condren, and Bradley Maxwell. It will be her first trip out of Canada since going to The Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the Breeders Crown as a 2-year-old in late November of 2005.

Vernon Downs will hold six $10,000 divisional eliminations of the Empire Breeders Classic on Saturday, May 19. Four divisions for New York bred 3-year-old trotting fillies will go to the gate, while two divisions for New York bred 3-year-old trotting colts will also battle it out for a chance to make the $150,000 final on Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day).

Vernon Downs will be taking entries on Friday, May 18, for the race card scheduled for Tuesday, May 22, that has a post time of 5:00 p.m.

Vernon Downs holds live racing on Tuesdays at 5:00 p.m. and on Thursdays and Saturdays at 6:45 p.m. For more information on racing at Vernon Downs please visit www.vernondowns.com.