Vernon: 2019 Champion in action Thursday
Vernon Downs will host a $118,000 leg of the of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for 3-year-old trotting fillies on Thursday (August 8).
There is only one division racing on Thursday but the field is loaded. It features last year’s 2-year-old trotting Filly of the Year Woodside Charm (Verlin Yoder). The Chapter Seven filly is owned and trained by Yoder and listed as the 5-2 morning line favorite She was a perfect seven-for-seven as a freshman including a brilliant win in the $600,000 Breeders Crown a season ago. She has only raced once as a sophomore, suffering her only career loss in the $40,000 Start Destroyer Stakes at Hoosier Park on June 26. She was second to Grand Swan (Swan For All) and looks for her first win as a 3-year-old on Thursday.
Her stiffest competition looks to be the Richard Banca trained Quincy Blue Chip (Jim Morrill Jr.). The filly by Chapter Seven has six wins as a sophomore including a victory in the $209,500 Empire Breeders Classic (EBC) at Vernon Downs in May. Quincy Blue Chip, who is owned by Banca along with Barbara and James Boese, comes into Thursday with 10 career trips to the winner’s circle. She is listed as the second choice at 7-2.
Also in this strong field is last year’s $225,000 2-year-old NYSS Final winner Winndevie (Jason Bartlett). Trond Smedshammer trains the filly by Credit Winner for the Purple Haze Stables. She was six for seven as a freshman with her only loss coming to Woodside Charm during a leg of the NYSS last season at Saratoga. She has two wins in her seven starts this season getting NYSS wins at Yonkers and Buffalo. She is at 8-1 on the morning line.
Other top contenders in the field include the George Ducharme trained Sensibility (Tyler Buter). She is listed at 9-2. At 6-1 is Sweet Chapter (Matt Kakaley), who is trained by Blake Macintosh.
The 11-race card will start at 6:10 p.m. There is no live racing at Vernon Downs on Friday (August 9) because of the Crystal Gayle and Lee Greenwood concert.
-edited release (Vernon)