Dry Gulch became the meet’s initial two-time winning pacer following a 1:51.1 upset verdict over the season-debuting double millionaire One More Laugh in Saturday night’s featured $10,000 Open Pace
at Vernon Downs.
After a heavy downpour during the previous race turned the track’s condition to sloppy, Dry Gulch took the select Open field to the quarter in :27.2 and the half in :55.2. Biding his time in fourth during the early going, One More Laugh, with trainer Ray Schnittker in the bike, employed a sling-shot move off the first turn to gain the lead on the backstretch, and then paced the four-horse cast past three-quarters in 1:22.4. Only one and a quarter lengths back entering the homestretch, Dry Gulch ($10.20) became re-energized in the final sixteenth, powering back to the front and prevailing over the crowd’s choice by one length.
In addition to becoming the four-night meet’s first two-time winning pacer, the gritty four-year-old gelding gathered up his fifth victory in eight current outings. Jack Rice drove for trainer Tracy Brainard, who owns the career winner of $65,783 along with Andrew Herzog.
Stablemate Cello Hanover joined Fancy Shot as the meet’s only two-time winning trotters following a 1:58 decision in Saturday’s $4,000 eighth event.
(With files from Vernon Downs)