Sir Carys Z Tam and Royalty For Life recorded the season’s fastest miles by freshmen on the pace and trot, respectively, while Jim Morrill Jr., again, tied the 2012 single program mark of six driving victories during Saturday night’s $153,800 State Fair racing program for New York-breds at Vernon Downs.
Driven by Mike Lachance, Sir Carys Z Tam converted a pocket trip into a career-best 1:53 clocking in Saturday’s second session. While out-striding the favourite Thirty Two Red to the finish by a neck, the brown son of Bettors Delight-Yankee Celebration collected his second win in six starts and increased his earnings to $58,581 for owner-trainer Pat Lachance, Ira Rosenblum and the M&M Harness Racing Stable.
Morrill Jr. did the steering behind Royalty For Life in Saturday’s opener, as the front-striding favourite forged a career-best 1:55.4 record, chalked up his fifth victory in eight outings and hiked his winnings to more than $90,600. George Ducharme conditions the bay son of Rc Royalty-BourbonNGrits for Alfred Ross, Raymond W.J. Campbell Jr. and Paul Fontaine.
Morrill Jr., who captured five races in State Fair competition at Vernon the previous evening, went on to win the fifth, seventh, 10th, 11th and 12th events on Saturday’s 12-race card, giving him 51 first-place finishes in limited appearances at the Downs this year. The talented 47-year-old teamster is currently tied at six with Tim Tetrick for most wins on a single Vernon card through 60 programs, but he has now done it three times to one for his only competitor. Both reinsmen will compete in Sunday afternoon’s $25,000 leg of Vernon’s sixth annual driving championship at the central New York 7/8th-mile track.
Saturday’s other first-place finishers in the $64,100 State Fair competition for two-year-olds male pacers were Bet The Moon (Bettors Delight-Sun N Moon) in 1:53.3, Doctor Butch (Art Major-Classical Yankee) in 1:53.4, Stirling Brigade (Art Major-Belle Reve) in 1:54.1 and Americasgottalent (American Ideal-Sunduel A) in 1:55.3.
Scores in Saturday’s $89,700 freshman colt/gelding trot were also recorded by Tirade Hanover (Crazed-Teagarden Hanover) in 1:57.2, Prove Up (Plesac-Perennial) in 1:58.1, Twisted Pretzel (Crazed-Pretzel Hanover) in 1:58.1, Jacks To Open (Conway Hall-Jodi’s Jayme) in 1:58.2, Rage (Conway Hall-Chianti) in 1:59.2 and Pine Credit (Credit Winner-Ms Piggy Pine) in 1:59.3.
Driver Jeff Gregory as well as trainers Ron Burke, Linda Toscano and Paul Kelley were all two-time winners during Saturday’s program.
(Vernon Downs)