White Bliss ($2.60), the rare white Standardbred which drew $240,000 from Knutsson Trotting, Inc. at the 2013 Harrisburg sale, broke her maiden on Saturday (July 25) evening at the harness racing meeting at Vernon Downs.
The 3-year-old Art Major colt left strongly from post 8, settled into the pocket behind DW's Bullet through a :28.3, and subsequently brushed to the fore upon reaching the backstretch.
After rating a 1:00.1 middle half, Oskar Florhed opened up the advantage with White Bliss, pulling clear to defeat DW's Bullet by 4-1/4 lengths in 1:56.3.
Ake Svanstedt trains White Bliss, who accelerated home in :27.4 to record his first career victory.
Drivers Truman Gale and Chris Lems each recorded three wins on the evening's 12-race program.
Gale prevailed with mid-price victors Glorious Winner ($18.20, 1:56.3), Sucrose Hanover ($12.20, 1:52.3), and Ozymandias ($14.40, 1:56.2), while Lems teamed up with the more strongly backed Drinksforthehouse ($7.60, 1:55), Vintage Fenom ($5.20, 1:54.2), and RG Riptide ($6.60, 1:54).
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Sunday (July 26) afternoon, with the Zweig Memorial for 3-year-old trotters headlining the day's on-track action.
Post time is 1:15 p.m. Eastern time.
James Witherite