Vivid Photo sweeps

Vivid Photo broke his own world record - twice - and captured the $525,000 World Trotting Derby Saturday afternoon at the DuQuoin State Fair. The gelded son of SJ's Photo wired the field in a 1:51.3 first heat, then came out of the two hole to win the second heat in 1:51.2. Great George Two was second both heats.



In the first heat co-owner, trainer and driver Roger Hammer put the Hambletonian winner on the front end from the start and cut fractions of :27.4, :57 and 1:24.4. Great George Two and Jonathan Roberts, who came first-over at the half, got to within a length of Vivid Photo when Hammer tapped his horse once and Vivid Photo drew off to win by 1 3/4 lengths.



In the second heat Muscle Memory and Eric Ledford led the field to the quarter in :28.1, then Vivid Photo swooped into the lead and went to the half in :56.4. Great George Two then moved to the lead before the 1:23.4 three quarters. But in the lane, Vivid Photo came back out and brushed back into the lead and drew off to win by 2 1/2 lengths. Muscle Memory, fourth in the first heat, was third in the second while Self Professed finished fourth in the final standing with a 3-5 summary.



The combined time of 3:43 is a two-heat all-age and 3-year-old world record for geldings, replacing the 3:47.2 mark set by Mr. Muscleman two years ago at Lexington.



Vivid Photo will take a rest for three weeks before going to Lexington for the Kentucky Futurity. He leaves DuQuoin with 13 wins in 16 starts and earnings this year of $1,159,072 for Hammer and his co-owner Todd Schadel.



Another world record was set on the closing program at DuQuoin when My Boy David, a 2-year-old gelded son of Cole Muffler, won the $80,000 Governor's Cup in 1:50.4 for Ron Marsh, trainer Homer Hochstetler and owners S. LeVin and D. Riff.

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