Arch Madness scores in Credit Winner

Arch Madness and Autumn Escapade were notable winners during Friday night’s (Sept. 18) 11-race program at Vernon Downs. Arch Madness turned in the fastest trotting mile of the meet with a 1:52.4 performance in the $187,000 Credit Winner open test, sponsored by Blue Chip Farms, while Autumn Escapade delivered a 1:55.1 triumph in Vernon’s $25,000 leg of the Miss Versatility series for Open distaff high-steppers.

 

A qualifying round winner in Canada’s prestigious Maple Leaf Trot on July 18, Arch Madness ($4.10) lived up to his favorite’s role in Friday’s eighth event, advancing from fifth in the early going to take control of the race approaching the three-quarter mile mark and then holding off his seven skilled rivals in a :28-second final split to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Four Starz Speed. Lanson finished third.

 

Trainer Trond Smedshammer did the teaming for owners Mark Goldberg and the Willow Pond LLC stable as the 5-year-old son of Balanced Image-Armbro Archer earned his fourth race of the season and increased his career winnings to more than $2.2 million. His time was just three-fifths of a second off the track’s all-time standard for aged trotting geldings, set by Vivid Photo in 2007.

 

Autumn Escapade, also a Canadian winner in mid-July, went right to the front in Friday’s first race and played catch-me-if-you can. None of her three talented foes were equal to the task, although the favorite Lavec Dream did get to within a neck of the brown mare at the finish. David Miller did the steering for trainer Jonas Czernyson as the daughter of Victory Sam-Winning Colors K secured her second win of 2009, 17th overall and increased her bankroll to $252,182 for owners David and Misty Miller.

 

Divisions of Friday’s $37,900 late-closing contest for New York-bred 3-year-old trotting fillies were won by Waltzing Bertie (George Brennan driving the bay daughter of Dilbert Hanover-Waltzing Savannah for co-owner and trainer Harold Smith and Karen Smith) in 1:58.1; Praise (Mike Lachance teaming the bay daughter of Plesac-Kiss Dot Com for trainer Bob Bloodgood and owner Richard Balog) in 1:59.3, and Princess Robyn (Kyle Di Benedetto steering the bay daughter of Conway Hall-Peace N Harmony for trainer/part-owner David Dziengiel and his partners Joe Ricco, Jr., Robyn and Anthony Lake) in 1:59.3.

 

Tim Tetrick, who won three races during the evening, captured Friday’s $10,000 Open handicap trot with Sharpshootennorris in 1:55.2 for owner/trainer Tracy Brainard and her partner, Gerard Stuchbury. His other first-place finishes came behind the Brainard trainees Neptune T and P J’s Niagara. (Vernon)