Okusko wins four at Vernon

Having returned from a successful summer stint on the New York Sire Stakes circuit and, more recently, three weeks at The Red Mile in Lexington, Ky., two-time defending dash winning driving champ Howard Okusko Jr. collected four victories at Vernon Downs on Thursday night, including a 1:56.2 outing behind Cyber Hall in the $9,000 featured seventh session.

Okusko, currently fourth on this season’s local race-winning chart, kept Cyber Hall in fifth until the half, moved the son of Conway Hall up to third in the final turn, and then teamed him through the stretch to defeat Saver by a neck in the week’s top division of the Miracle Mile trotting class.

The strong showing resulted in the 4-year-old horse’s fourth local tally and fifth triumph in 16 season’s starts, while the time equaled the lifetime record that he had earned earlier in 2008 over Vernon’s seven-eighths-mile oval. The career winner of $99,461 is owned by the Purple Haze Stables.

“This guy hurt one of his hind legs earlier in the year, and it took us about six weeks to get him right again,” explained the 45-year-old Vernon native, who has chalked up 10 overall driving titles here since the mid-1980s. “You might say he’s now fresh while his competition is a bit weary after a long campaign.”

In notching his third four-win performance at the meet, the third generation horseman increased his current Vernon victory total to 56 after additional tallies with the trotter Ginsignia, in 1:59.3 for owner-trainer Peter Krawec; the pacer Townie Guy, in 1:56.4 for trainer Joe Sansone and owner Frank Nistico; and the trotter Sir Prize Hall, in 1:57.2 for the Purple Haze Stables.

Okusko’s wife, Jessica, presently third on the track’s training chart with 44 victories, conditions Cyber Hall and Sir Prize Hall.

“Jessica was the leading trainer during the state’s Sires Stakes schedule this summer and we fared very well, so it was worth the effort,” Okusko admitted. “While it’s nice to go traveling, it’s also good to be back at Vernon, where it’s one mile to our home instead of three hours or more.” (Vernon Downs)

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