by Jim Moran, for Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — Driver Ruel (Dude) Goodblood, Jr. took a desperate gamble with Theater Production in Friday night’s (September 21) $10,000 featured 10th race and it paid off with a 1:56.1 triumph in the week’s Open Handicap Trot at Vernon Downs.

With favored Ginger Girl and Walden dueling for the lead in the final furlong, Goodblood guided Theater Production through a tight gap in the inside lane and on to a 1-1/4 length first-place finish. The daring duo had to wait out a judges’ review of a possible Eurorail violation before getting the official nod and returning $29.00, $13.40 and $20.60 across the board.

The pylon path score was the fourth of the season, all at the Downs, for Theater Production, who increased his lifetime earnings to $246,940. Whitney Goodblood trains the 8-year-old son of Movie Mogul for owner Robert Blackman, Jr.

Bill Bailey secured a driving triple during Friday’s 12-race card, scoring with trotters Butterscotch Swirl, Nowerland Lightnin and Tessel to record his second hat trick at the meet.

Butterscotch Swirl’s career-best 1:56 effort enabled Dave Dewhurst to draw to within two victories of Lonny Hale’s meet leading total of 36 training triumphs.

The campaign’s winningest driver, Howard Okusko, Jr., chalked up first-place finishes behind the trotters Partial Hit and Cyber Hall, to secure his 13th double at the Downs in 2007, and take a 73-69 lead over Josh Marks in the season’s local dash-winning derby.

Downs Doings: Butterscotch Swirl and Tessel tied at 1:56 for fastest mile of the evening honors…Ten of Friday’s race winners secured fresh lifetime marks…Jessica Okusko and Ann Yurenka each recorded training doubles during the evening…Saturday night’s 12-race all pace program, which starts at 6:45 p.m., includes nine divisions of an $87,500 New York Sires Stakes late closing event for 2-year-olds (five for fillies), plus the week’s Open-1 and Open-2 contests…Vernon’s video gaming facility operates from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, while its daily simulcast sessions begin at 11:00 a.m.