Right Mind gets a break in Vernon feature

The veteran trotter Right Mind needed a break to capture Thursday night’s $5,775 featured eighth event at Vernon Downs…and he got one.

Leading for most of the mile test on a raw, rainy evening, Right Mind was passed in the final stride by Baileysirishdream, who crossed the finish line first, but was ruled to be off-stride by the judges. 

Since he was only a head behind in second place, the judges ruled that Right Mind should be declared the winner due to the fact that Baileysirishdream was guilty of a lapped on break in stride at the finish of the race.

In being placed first, Right Mind picked up his second score in succession and third at the meet. Jimmy Whittemore, the track’s leading reinsman with 23 first-place finishes, did the teaming for defending training champ Lonny Hale and owner Joe Burns as the 6-year-old son of Balanced Image increased his lifetime winnings to more than $95,300, and became one of only three trotters to post a trio of victories after 14 current Vernon programs.

The trotters PBK Conman, owned by Michael Sorentino Jr., and Crown Rules, registered to Catherine Burton, each earned their second Vernon victories of 2008 during Thursday’s nine-race program. (Vernon Downs)

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