Walden waltzes to Vernon victory

Walden went right to the front from the start and never looked back en route to an impressive 1:56.3 victory in Thursday night’s $6,500 featured trot at Vernon Downs.

With defending track dash-winning champ Howard Okusko Jr. doing the teaming in the seventh session, Walden waltzed right to the lead from the number seven post and led through splits of :28.2, :58.3 and 1:27.3 en route to a 2 1/2-length decision over the closest of his eight rivals.

The time, turned in on a chilly evening, missed the 7-year-old gelding’s personal best clocking by two-ticks of the clock, and it was just three-fifths of a second off the fastest trotting mile of the five-night old meet.

The win was the second in a row at Vernon and third in nine season’s starts for the career winner of more than $122,300 that Joe Sansone trains for owners James and Elizabeth Harper.

The win was one of two during the nine-race card for Okusko, who also scored with his stable’s sophomore trotter Steamship Round in 1:58.1.

Newcomer Houndbeach recorded the fastest mile of the evening, a 1:54 triumph in Thursday’s $3,000 eighth event with Claude Huckabone Jr. steering for trainer Tracy Brainard and the Just Luck Stable. (Vernon Downs)

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