The featured event on the Sunday (Sept. 11) program at Running Aces was the $19,800 Open Handicap Trot, which drew a field of six for this week’s edition.
All American N showed eight wins in his last 10 starts and was sent off as the 1-2 favourite from the outside post.
Driver Luke Plano wasted no time in getting the star trotter to the front of the field, making the top before the eighth pole while Bringoverthemoney (Dean Magee) left quickly from post four but had to settle for the pocket trip as they completed a quick opening stanza in :27.1.
The favourite controlled the affair at every call, posting middle fractions of :56.4 and 1:25 while turning back a very strong mid-race challenge from Mind Yown Business (Brady Jenson).
In the lane, there were challengers on all sides of the leader as Bringoverthemoney charged up the inside and Mind Yown Business and Bordogna were charging on the outside while Mandeville (Tony Kerwood) closed down the center of the track, but All American N dug in gamely and refused to lose, hanging on by a neck over Bringoverthemoney to score his fourth straight win. Mandeville was home in third in the 1:55.4 mile.
The win was the ninth in 15 starts this year for the eight-year-old Muscle Hill gelding All American N ($3) and pushed his seasonal earnings to $99,840 for owner/trainer Maria Alvarez.
Hearduwhispermynam ($3.60) delivered as the big favourite in the $15,600 Open II Handicap Trot for his fourth win of the season. Plano was the winning pilot and was content to get away mid-pack while Fox Valley Britzka (Kerwood) and SD Eliminator (Brian Detgen) made the early fractions. Plano activated Hearduwhispermynam as they headed down the backside and the Braggart gelding quickly opened up by three lengths and then trotted strong to the finish to post a 3-1/2-length tally over longshot Abc Showtime (James Kennedy) and third choice Daytona Dreamin (Mooney Svendsen) in the 1:57.1 mile. The winner is owned and trained by Jenni King.
Poko Loki was a sharp-looking winner of the $16,500 Minnesota-sired sophomore boys trot, posting his fourth win of the season with a 1-1/2-length score over Shadowfax (Detgen) in 1:58.4. Driver Chip Lackey sent his charge in search of the lead from post six and made the top right at the quarter pole. Once on the lead, Poko Loki was never in doubt and he easily turned back a late challenge from Cobra Venom (Gary Magee) who checked in third. The winner, a gelded son of Tamarind, is owned by Ulf and Susan Holm-Johansen and is also trained by the former.
Triggered rallied from off the pace to post her fourth career win, taking the $16,500 sophomore filly trot by a half-length in 1:59.2 with Mooney Svendsen in the bike. Scroll On By (Rick Magee) posted most of the race fractions and held gamely for second while Snap Krakle Ntrot (Kennedy) rallied late for third money. The winner, a daughter of Banker Volo, is owned and trained by her breeder, Robert Lems. The $2 win mutuel returned $17.
Mooney Svendsen led the program with three driving wins while Luke Plano and trainer Jessica Johnson both posted doubles on the card.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Tuesday (Sept. 13) for the final ‘Dollar Night’ program of the season. The action gets underway with first post at 7 p.m. (CDT).
(Running Aces)