Blueridge Betty takes Vernon Open

Vernon, NY — Blueridge Betty closed with a rush to win Thursday night’s $10,000 featured ninth race at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Blueridge Betty rallied in the stretch to score in 1:53.4.

With trainer Joe Nassimos at the controls for the Big Sky Ranch, Blueridge Betty ($28.00) idled in or near last place through approximately three-quarters of Thursday’s Open contest for female pacers. Hemmed in fourth entering the stretch drive, the slick-striding 5-year-old mare exploited a late opening in the inside pylon path, zipped through (last quarter in :28.2 on a sloppy track) and came up with her second win at the meet, plus a fresh 1:53.4 record.

While defeating the favorite Semjac Legacy by a half length, the bay daughter of Modern Art-Miss Megan E raised her career summary to nine victories and earnings of nearly $74,000.

The pacer By All Means (Truman Gale driving for owner/trainer Robert C. Gale) and trotter Cello Hanover (Frank Milby teaming for trainer Tracy Brainard and owner Donald E. Brainard) became the third and fourth horses at the 13-night meet to become three-time winners with their Thursday tallies in 1:55.1 and 1:58.4, respectively.

Frank Davis and Fern Paquet, Jr. each posted driving doubles during Thursday’s 12-race program.

— Jim Moran

Cal Expo
Being off over a month had no bearing on Claudius Augustus as he outclassed his foes. A field of five trotters featured at Cal Expo on Thursday night for a purse of $4,500, in which Claudius Augustus won his fourth in a row. Firing out from post five for driver Lemoyne Svendsen and racing three-wide for an eighth of a mile, the 7-year-old didn’t clear to the front until 3-16ths of a mile past the start into a swift :28 opening quarter. Getting a breather of :30 seconds in the second quarter while reaching the half-mile juncture in :58, the son of Angus Hall needed no cue to increase the tempo just to the five-eighths pole. Opening up by 2-1/4 lengths midway through the final turn, then by 2-3/4 lengths at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:27, the eventual winner was four lengths to the good with less than 3-16ths of a mile to go. All alone in deep stretch to win ($2.10) very easily by six lengths, the Debbie Budahn owned and Bob Johnson trained trotter stopped the timer at 1:55.3, a seasonal best and his 26th career triumph. Broadway Victory (John McKeon, Jr.), the lone lady in the race, finished in second and Berkshire (Steve Wiseman) recovered from a break before the start to finish third, another 2-1/4 lengths back. For trainer Bob Johnson, the score was one of four victories on the 11-race program, of which he owned three of them.