by Jim Moran, publicity director, Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — Queenie Rocks, who owns the fastest of 45 trotting miles in 2:00 or faster at Vernon Downs this season, returns to take on the current diagonally-gaited kingpin, Iroquoindiangiver, and six other skilled rivals in Friday night’s $5,000 featured seventh race at the Route 31 horseracing headquarters. Friday’s live 10 race harness program gets underway at 6:30 p.m.

Queenie Rocks became the meet’s initial three time winner when she trotted to a lifetime best 1:56¹ record in this class on May 14, missing the track’s all-time record for four-year-old square-gaited mares by one second. Jack Rice did the driving for trainer Maria St. Pierre as Queenie Rocks drafted behind the pace-setting Marian’s Man through splits of :27⁴ for the quarter, :58¹ to the half, and 1:27¹ at the three-quarters before leaving the pocket in deep stretch and registering a neck victory over the mile-cutter.

In a form reversal at Mohawk Racetrack on May 25, her only appearance since the Vernon victory, Queenie Rocks cut out the entire mile and was defeated at the finish by a half-length in a 1:57³ performance.

After 11 current outings, the Sam Rice-owned bay daughter of Conway Hall sports a record of four scores, a second and a third. Her season’s earnings of $12,313 have raised her all-time winnings to $25,490. She is the 3-1 early-line choice to capture this Friday evening’s “Tim Smith Bachelor Party Trophy Race.”

A New York Sires Stakes star at both two and three, Iroquoindiangiver produced a front-striding 1:58 victory in last Friday’s top trot that resulted in his first tally in two season’s starts. The meet’s top dash-winning driver Howard Okusko, Jr. did the teaming for trainer Tony Mondi as the four-year-old son of Giant Hit increased his lifetime bankroll to $350,427.

Fridayt’s main event also includes impressive newcomers Champagne Victory, So Marvelous and Speedy Rattle, as well as the local stalwarts Greatest Hit, Marian’s Man and Ha Ha’s Big Hit.

DOWNS DOINGS: Vernon Downs will offer advanced wagering from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Friday on Saturday’s (June 5) prestigious Belmont Stakes. It will also take betting on a special Acorn/Belmont Stakes “double,” which requires fans to select the winner of Friday’s Acorn Stake and Saturday’s 136th edition of the Belmont Stakes, in which Smarty Jones will try to become the thoroughbred sport’s 12th Triple Crown winner. With Saturday’s Belmont Stakes set to go off at 6:38 p.m., Vernon’s first post Saturday night is expected to be 7:00 p.m…Through the end of May, the Downs had recorded 175 miles in 2:00 or faster, which represents 93% of the 188 races contested during the meet’s initial 19 programs.