Standout 5 to drive at Vernon

Five of the most talented drivers in the United States will be visiting bucolic Vernon Downs on Tuesday for a card featuring New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting colts. Among the headliners will be Brian Sears, Tim Tetrick, Yannick Gingras, George Brennan and Jim Morrill Jr.

For Sears, the evening will be a homecoming of sorts. In the early 1990s the driver was a leading reinsman at the Central New York oval before moving his base of operations to The Meadows in Pennsylvania and then later, harness racing’s flagship track, the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Sears is currently the leading driver at the Meadowlands and nationally he is ranked second in earnings, having driven the winners of $5.37 million so far this year.

“I grew up at Vernon, so it’s nice to go back,” said Sears. “I raced there one day last year. The track and paddock, it was almost like it was caught in time, the trees were the same, the benches were in the same place. The same faces that knew me as a kid walking into the track kitchen are still there.”

With a busy schedule at the Meadowlands and traveling to race top Grand Circuit stock around the country, the 39-year-old Sears doesn’t have much time to sit behind New York Sire Stakes horses. However, the driver does own a homebred New York-eligible 2 year old.

“I hope he’ll be good enough to race on the New York circuit,” added the driver of his Sealed N Delivered gelding. “His name is The Riley Factor, he just qualified twice and looked good.”

Sears has career earnings of $66.5 million and 5,977 victories as of July 3.

Tetrick, the leading driver at Yonkers Raceway, is currently chasing the single-season dash winning title. As of July 3, the 25-year-old Ohio native had 602 victories and $6.9 million in earnings in 2007, ranking him number one nationally in both categories. The most winning drives ever recorded in a single year was 1,077 in 1998 by Walter Case Jr. Tetrick is currently on pace to blow by this record before the end of the year. He will be making the first appearance of his career at Vernon.

Also making his first start at Vernon Downs will be Gingras, who is from Quebec and permanently moved to the U.S. six years ago to make his mark on the driving colonies at Yonkers Raceway and later the Meadowlands. The horseman is just a month away from his 28th birthday and is currently ranked fifth nationally with $4.4 million in earnings this year and fourth in wins with 303.

Brennan is currently the fifth leading driver at his home base of the Meadowlands. Last season he scored a career season-high of $9 million in earnings and was the driver behind Holborn Hanover for the fastest race mark of all-time, 1:46.4 in the U.S. Pacing Championships. His career earnings top $73 million and his career wins currently stand at 5,091.

Morrill is already a familiar face on the New York Sire Stakes circuit as the driver has regularly steered state-bred horses for the last two years after his move back to Western New York following a successful career in New Jersey. He has driven the winners of nearly $46 million in his career and amassed 3,706 victories.

These five drivers, along with the best from the New York Sire Stakes and Vernon Downs will be on display Tuesday when an estimated $155,000 in Sire Stakes purses will be distributed. (Vernon Downs) 

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