Vernon Downs plays host to Big Apple eliminations on Saturday
At 1h18, on October 2, 2025 • By John Horne, Vernon Downs
Vernon Downs welcome freshmen pacers and trotters for the Big Apple eliminations on Saturday (Oct. 4).
They are divided into four classes: 2-year-old colts & gelding pacers, 2-year-old filly pacers, 2-year-old trotting colts & geldings, and 2-year-old trotting fillies. The top four in each division and a random fifth-place finisher will qualify for the Big Apple finals to be held on Saturday (Oct. 11) with a purse of $250,000 for each class.
Fragment (Jason Bartlett) and Hunt Off The Press (Tyler Buter) are set to square off in the first of the two eliminations for colts & gelding pacers. Fragment is a 2-year-old colt by Huntsville-The Show Returns. Trained by Per Engblom, the colt has six wins this season including the New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) final, bank rolling almost $400,000. The Jarod Bako trained Hunt Off The Press is a gelding by Huntsville-Off The Press. He was the distant runner-up to Fragment in the NYSS final. He has four wins accumulating nearly $300,000 in purses.
The Kevin Lare trained Southwind Iron (Jason Bartlett) is the 9-5 favorite in the second elimination. The colt by American Ideal-Southwind Inertia has six wins this season including the New York Excelsior final.
In the filly pacers eliminations, Odds On Enigma (Jim Marohn Jr.) is the one to beat in the first elimination. She has two wins including a NYSS win at Vernon. Odds On Enigma (Huntsville-Yellow Diamond) is trained by Scott Di Domenico.
Andrew Stafford trains the overwhelming favorite Liberty Style (Jason Bartlett) in the second elimination. She has won five of her eight career starts including the NYSS final. Liberty Style (American Style-Fly In Style) has won over $296,000.
NYSS final winner AI (Brett Beckwith) is the one to beat in the first elimination for trotting colts & geldings. Ron Burke trains five-time winning colt by Chapter Seven-Image Of Bee. He has won over $333,000 in his career.
Bruce Clarke trains Titans Mischief, the morning line favorite, in the second elimination. The colt by E L Titan-Morosita Bi has three wins and six seconds in nine starts with over $282,000 in earnings.
Nezuko Kamado S (Jason Bartlett) is the one to beat in the first elimination for trotting fillies. She is trained by Marcus Melander. Nezuko Kamado S (Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos It) has three wins and over $217,000 in earnings.
The favorite to win the second elimination is the George Ducharme trained Sharp Seven (Matt Kakaley). The filly by Chapter Seven-Lookin Sharp has won five races including the NYSS final. She has won nearly $370,000 in her young career.
The 15-race card starts at 5:05 p.m.
