Frank Milby put on a driving clinic at Vernon Downs on Saturday evening, visiting the track’s winner’s circle five times in 10 races, including a featured pace win with Pro Bono Frank
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Milby, a newcomer to the track this season, increased his win total after 39 programs to 41, second only to two-time defending champion and current leader Jimmy Whittemore (65 tallies).
Steering Pro Bono Frank ($23.40) for trainer Patrick Galbraith and owner Nikki Kosciolek, Milby kept the gritty seven-year-old gelding in seventh place through most of the $8,000 seventh session. Together, they rallied to fifth at the top the stretch, and then powered home in a :28-second final quarter to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.4.
Pro Bono Frank’s career-fastest performance marked his second win in succession, and sixth at the meet, tying him with fellow side-wheeler Johnny Midnight for most equine tallies at the track thus far this season. The brown son of Pro Bono Best-Frankie Kash now sports 12 lifetime victories and earnings of more than $43,000.
Milby’s other first-place finishers included Fox Valley Lee in the fifth race, Betto’s Curse in the sixth session, What It Means in the ninth event and Heros Cavalcade in Saturday’s night-cap.
Milby is the first driver to win more than four races on a single program at the Downs thus far this season.
Rick Plano, with three tallies, and Frank Davis, with a pair of first-place finishes, were also multiple winners during the final night of “Back to the Track” weekend at the Downs.
Robin Rouse earned top handicapper honours on Saturday night and won a trip to the Little Brown Jug, harness racing’s premier event for three-year-old pacers
Winners in Saturday’s exhibition races for members of the Harness Horse Youth Foundation at Vernon were Claudia McDaniel, driving Royal Attire, Brooke Hopsicker, steering Jandi Tuff As Sky, and Olivia Marshall, teaming CDs Miss M. Eleven youngsters competed in this year’s HHYF’s summer camp at the Downs.
(Vernon Downs)