by Jim Moran, for Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — A trio of trotters became three-time winners at Vernon Downs on Thursday night, May 10, including Scorpion Moon, who captured the week’s Open Handicap test.

The track’s leading dash-winner Josh Marks did the teaming for trainer Tracy Brainard in the $8,500 featured ninth race as Scorpion Moon steamed to a front-striding 1:58.4 triumph on a rain soaked track labeled “sloppy.” It was the third straight local tally for the 6-year-old gelding, who defeated Theater Production by two lengths. The bay son of Armbro Scorpion has now posted five wins and banked $22,635 in 11 current appearances for owner Gerard Stuchbury.

Rio Bravo Hall, owned by the Purple Haze Stables, became the meet’s first three-time winning high-stepper with a 1:59.4 tally in Thursday’s $3,675 seventh race, and then Angie Blue Chip, registered to Fred Monteleone and Sal Promuto, became the second member of the diagonal gait to turn the trick in the $4,725 eighth event.

Devil’s Delight (Ruel “Dude” Goodblood, Jr. driving) delivered the fastest mile of the night, a 1:55.4 pacing performance for trainer Jim Graham and his ownership partners Ron Viola and Dave Venniro in Thursday’s $4,725 10th test.

DOWNS DOINGS: Rio Bravo Hall’s stablemate Red Hot Kash, also registered to the Purple Haze Stables, helped Howard Okusko, Jr. achieve a two-win outing with a 1:59.3 tally in Thursday’s fourth race. It was the defending dash-winning champ’s fifth multiple-win night of the 11-night-old meet…Bill Bailey also turned in a two-victory evening, scoring with Bob and Elaine Siemski’s pacer She Don’t Know in 1:58.2 and Fred Ottaviano’s trotter Lady Marion in 2:01…Vernon’s next live racing card will be at 6:45 p.m. on Saturday night (May 12)…Vernon’s sister track, Tioga Downs, begins its second live harness campaign at 6:50 p.m. Friday night (May 11)…Vernon’s 777-machine video gaming facility operates daily from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m., while the track’s simulcast schedule starts each day at 11:00 a.m.