Sun shines in Versatility

Cat Manzi worked out a second-over trip with Easton Alliance N and the 5-year-old mare rallied late to edge Burning Point and win the $83,500 Artiscape at Vernon Downs Thursday night. The winning time of 1:51 shattered the Vernon record for older pacing mares by 1 3/5 seconds and missed the all-age standard of Oye Vay set in 1996 by just two-fifths of a second.

Burning Point and driver Ron Pierce set all the fractions of :26.3, :55.3 and 1:23.1 while withstanding the pressure of the first-over Born Storyteller. Manzi maneuvered his charge second-over before tipping wide in the lane and rushing past the leader in the final strides. L Dees Val finished third for Jim Morrill Jr.

Ross Croghan trains the winning daughter of Village Jasper for owner Kathathrine Bardis. It was her seventh win in 16 starts this year, increasing her career earnings to nearly $300,000.

Although Pierce couldn't reach the wire first with Burning Point while cutting the mile, he was able to direct Mystical Sunshine to a gate-to-wire victory in the co-featured $25,000 second leg of the Miss Versatility Trot fold older mares.

Mystical Sunshine led through fractions of :27.3, :57.2 and 1:27.1, putting away the parked Abbey Craig around the final turn. David Miller directed Three Little Words to a second-place finish with Ticket To Glide and Cat Manzi, the winner of the first round of the Miss Versatility, settling for third.

Chris Ryder trains the winning 5-year-old daughter of Yankee Glide for owners Alvin Jacobson and Sid Korn. The upset winner of the $250,000 Breeders Crown in July at the Meadowlands, Mystical Sunshine has career earnings of more than $1.2 million.

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