Running Aces has announced the following special event races which will become annual contests starting this year.

Father’s Day weekend:

-- Saturday (June 15) – The $20,000 Trout-Air Trot
-- Sunday (June 16) – The $20,000 North Metro Pace

Dan Patch weekend:

-- Saturday (July 20) – The $25,000 Ron Banks Pace and The $25,000 Vern Devine Trot

Both the Trout-Air Trot and North Metro Pace are open events, while the Ron Banks Pace and the Vern Devine Trot are Minnesota-Sired preferred events.

The Trout-Air Trot pays homage to the land that Running Aces is built on, which was for many years home to the famous “Trout-Air” restaurant that featured a live trout pond for catch-and-eat dining, as well as an outdoor concert venue.

The North Metro Pace is named for the area where Running Aces is located, north of the metropolitan areas of the Twin-Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The “North Metro Harness Initiative” is also the name of the organization that holds the license and operates Running Aces.

The special events on Dan Patch weekend are a prelude to the $50,000 Dan Patch Pace on Sunday (July 21) and are each named for gentlemen who were instrumental in the growth and success of harness racing in Minnesota, Ron Banks and Vernon Devine.

The 2019 live harness racing season at Running Aces is currently in full swing, with racing three nights a week through Sept. 14. Post time is 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays.

(Running Aces)