Running Aces closed out its 2025 harness racing season with its Night of Champions on Saturday, Sept. 20. A large and enthusiastic crowd was on hand to cheer on the top Minnesota-sired trotters and pacers in in the 12 championship events that went for $89,041 each.

Peanutbutterflacon grabbed the top headline of the night with his 10th straight win, equalling his career best with a 1:57.1 score in the sophomore boys trot. He sat the pocket for Rick Magee behind chief rival Braggen Bliss (Luke Plano), then vaulted past him down the lane to a one-length victory. Longshot Step Machine (Billy Mann) was well back in third. 

The victory pushed Peanutbutterfalcon's seasonal earnings to $187,079, which establishes an new state record for single-season earnings in the Minnesota program. The son of Quality Kemp-Lindys On Fire is now 19-for-25 lifetime for owner/breeder Jeri Roland and trainer Dan Roland. The $2 win mutuel was $2.20.

Al Mar Flash Over posted a sensational gate-to-wire effort with Luke Plano in the bike in the freshman filly trot, equalling the track record with a dominating 1:59 score. She put up the :29, 1:00.2, and 1:29.4 fractions and pulled away by 9-1/2 lengths over longshot Wundrfoal (James Kennedy), followed by Anitras Dance (Scott Cisco). The winning Southwind Flash-Vestal Hanover filly now shows eight wins from nine outings for owners Tom and Kathy Shipley and Royal Roland and trainer Nick Roland. She returned $2.20.

Im A Skoldier pulled a mild upset in the aged male pacing division, posting the fastest mile of the night in 1:52.2 for a new career mark. Trainer/Driver Luke Plano sent his five-year-old gelding right to the front and they never looked back in a 1-1/4-length victory. Spiritofanoutlaw (Brady Jenson) was home a game second, and Alilthundadownunda (Brian Detgen) completed the triactor. Im A Skoldier is also owned by Plano in partnership with Dave Haness. The victory was the Wind Me Up-Sweet Love Roknrol gelding's 21st in 70 career outings. He paid $14.80.

Baby Flash delivered as the big favourite in the older mares trotting division with a career-best 1:55.1 mile with Mooney Svendsen in the bike. It was a meaningful win for Svendsen, as the race was named in honour of both him and his late father as members of the Minnesota Harness Racing Hall of Fame (inducted together in 2014). Baby Flash ($2.40) led every step of the affair and held on gamely by a neck against Wilamar Spark (Rick Magee) at the wire, with Chicora (Cisco) home in third. Rick Huffman is the winning trainer of the four-year-old daughter of Southwind Flash-Dj French Baby and co-owns her with Keith Wilson and Brenda Lovetinsky. Baby Flash is now 24-for-45 lifetime.

Miss May Bell dominated the sophomore filly pace division, going gate-to-wire in a career-best 1:54.2 win by 2-3/4 lengths over Skoochs Valentine (Svendsen). Mele Kalikimaka (Rick Magee) was third. The victory was the eighth from 10 career starts for the homebred owned by Merlin Van Otterloo and trained by Brett Ballinger. It was a special win for driver Brady Jenson, who was victorious in the race named for his late grandfather, Jack Budahn. The winning daughter of Karpathian Kid-Eternitys Delight paid $2.10 to win.

Fillister Photo won the older mares pacing championship for the second straight year, posting a one-length tally in 1:53.4 over a very game Apple Juice (Cisco), with Deja Vu Babyboo (Rick Magee) home in third. Billy Mann was the winning pilot for owner Scorpio Stable and trainer Bob Lems. Fillister Photo, a daughter of Easy Again-Filly Buster, has won 25 of 84 career outings. The win price was $5.60.

Iron Sharpens Iron ended the five-year reign of Bringoverthemoney in the aged trotting division, storming home from sixth in the final eighth of a mile and collaring that rival late to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:57. Sd Eliminator (Kennedy) got up for second over Bringoverthemoney (Dean Magee). Iron Sharpens Iron, a five-year-old son of Banker Volo-Lindys On Fire, is owned and trained by Dan Roland. The gelding is now 30-for-67 lifetime. He returned $15.60.

Cisco drove two championship winners, starting with Starstruck Fool ($3.80) in the freshman filly pace. The Karpathian Kid-Lovin A Fool filly wired the field in 1:57.1 for trainer Jessie Pacheco and owner-breeders Jeri and Briar Roland. The reinsman's other winner was Wind Me Up Blue ($3.40) in the three-year-old male pace, who romped in 1:53.2. The Wind Me Up-Blue Note gelding is trained by Rick Cisco, who shares ownership with Tamara Wainscott.

Set Free ($3.60) crushed his rivals in the freshman male pace by 9-1/2 lengths, taking his seventh win in 11 starts with Rick Magee at the lines. Cl Dancer (Dean Magee) was second over Whatevrittakes Two (Brandon Jenson). The winning Three Of Clubs-Hostess Lisa gelding stopped the clock in 1:54.3 for trainer Justin Anfinson and owners Jesse De Long, Ken Stauffer, and Stephanie Anfinson.

Its Gonna Be Mae took the final for three-year-old trotting fillies, piloted by Sean Smithpeters to a 5-3/4-length score in 1:59.2. Hm Magics Touch (Dean Magee) rallied for place, followed by Shs Miss My Mama (Brady Jenson). Alexia Kehl owns, trains, and bred the winner, a daughter of Lear Jetta-Sweet Elly Mae who is now five-for-26. The filly returned $10.60.

Sv Rough And Tough took the front past the quarter and went all the way from there to win the rookie male trot division by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:59.2 over My Little Maverick (Rick Magee). Bang Bang Boogie (Adam Hauser) was third. Sv Rough And Tough, a Tom Ridge-Sierra Glide gelding, tallied his sixth win in 13 appearances for trainer Jason Telfer and owner Larry Mather. The win price was $6.20.

Rick Magee led the program with three driving wins, while Luke Plano and Cisco both had driving doubles. Trainer Dan Roland sent out two winners.

Brady Jenson took home the titles as both the 2025 leading driver (87 wins) and the top trainer (53 wins). This is the second straight year that Jenson has captured both meet titles.

(With files from Running Aces; photo of Peanutbutterfalcon winning on Sept. 20)