The Sunday (July 2) harness racing card at Running Aces featured a career milestone for both horse and driver, as 21-year-old Brady Jenson steered his trainee Mac Anover to victory in the $3,500 maiden pace.
The victory marked the first lifetime pari-mutuel win for both horse and driver. Jenson is from a big harness racing family based in Iowa, and has been training horses at Running Aces for the past two seasons. While he has had numerous training victories and has driven winners at the fairs, Jenson had not yet picked up a pari-mutuel win, until tonight that is.
Jenson sent his charge sharply from the gate from post one to secure the pocket position behind the race favourite, No Regrets Ivy (James Yoder), and waited patiently in that spot until the top of the homestretch before launching a strong attack and powering past the leader to score a sharp one and three-quarter length tally, going away in an impressive mile in 1:54.4.
Mac Anover ($12.80) is a three-year-old gelding by McArdle and is owned by Larry Jo Jenson.
William Hernandez posted his first Minnesota driving victory this evening with Poorlittlerichgirl ($38.60) in 1:54.3, in a $4,000 conditioned pace. It was the first win of the season for the nine-year-old mare by Little Steven, owned by Maria Alvarez and also trained by Hernandez.
The next card of live harness racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Monday night, July 3 at 5 p.m. CDT, a special holiday program of racing, with a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $3,963.99 and a carryover for the race 11 Hi-5 wager of $4,468.35.
(With files from Running Aces)