Vernon: Record book rewritten in Friday's NYSS for 3YO filly pacers
?q=100)
Stepabovetherest lowered the track record for a 3-year-old pacing filly at Vernon Downs to 1:49 4/5 and then Tarrific matched that mark in a pair of $57,000 New York Sire Stakes divisions that took place on Friday afternoon.
In the first grouping Ponynamedwildfire (Mark MacDonald) moved up two-wide to take the lead away from Peace Talks (Jason Bartlett), the 1-4 favorite, nearing the 25 4/5 quarter. Ponynamedwildfire kept the tempo rapid from there, hitting the half in 53 3/5 and the three-quarters in 1:21 3/5, but Bartlett had Peace Talks out and on the move two-wide before that latter station, tracked by Stepabovetherest (Braxten Boyd).
Peace Talks went by Ponynamedwildfire before the field turned for home and went back down to the pylons, but despite losing the helmet she was following, Stepabovetherest kept charging, and behind a 27 4/5 last quarter, she would get up to score by a length and a half over Peace Talks. Camerican (Jim Marohn Jr.) finished in the third position.
That time of 1:49 4/5 knocked a fifth of a second off the previous record for the group of 1:50 that belonged to Major Look and Give Me An Amen from back in 2012 and 2013.
A daughter of Huntsville bred by Ross Bonafield, Stepabovetherest is trained by Nick Devita for owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips. Unraced as a 2-year-old, Stepabovetherest has two wins and a second in three outings, has put away $42,000 and paid $12.20 to win as the 5-1 second choice.
► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter
The other flight saw Tarrific and Bartlett advance on the rim and advance around She's Epic (Boyd) for the top spot beyond the 27 3/5 quarter-mile mark. Tarrific would go on to the half in 55 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:22 4/5, then opened up at will on her four foes through the 27 second end to the mile, defeating Fresh Legs (Marohn Jr.) by 9 1/4 lengths. Blue Point (Brett Beckwith) was the third-place finisher.
Another Huntsville filly, Tarrific, bred by Dr. Stephen Dey III, is owned by Margaret Dey and Let It Ride Stables Inc. This was her second win in her 11th lifetime start, she has now pocketed $115,129 and returned $2.10 to win as the 1-9 favorite.