Running Aces will close out its 2026 harness racing season this weekend with two big nights of action, including Minnesota-sired consolation night on Friday, Sept. 18 and the Minnesota Night of Champions program on Saturday, Sept. 19 with post time on both nights set for 6 p.m. (CDT).

In addition to the consolation events on Friday, there are two Open events going for $30,000 USD each, including an Open Handicap Pace and an Open Trot that will be contested at a distance of a mile and a quarter.

Friday's headliner is Cash Money Twenty, who is the leading horse at Running Aces this season with 10 local wins and more than $150,000 earned. He tied the all-age track record with his 1:49.1 victory in the Dan Patch FFA Pace on Aug. 2. He will take on five rivals in the Open Pace on Friday with Dean Magee as his driver for trainer Brett Ballinger.

The Saturday program consists of 12 Championship races featuring all of the best and brightest stars in each division of the Minnesota-sired program. Each race on Saturday night offers a $65,000 USD purse.

The two major standouts on the Saturday program include Slipped Onmybeans, who has won seven in a row and has not lost in her freshman pacing filly division. The Scott Banitt trainee will have Dean Magee in the bike from post seven as the 3-5 morning line choice. Captain Ricky is the leading male freshman pacer in 2026 and has won his last five starts at Running Aces, he is tabbed at 4-5 on the early morning line from post six in his divisional championship with regular pilot Casey Leonard scheduled to drive for trainer Justin Anfinson. Both Slipped Onmybeans and Captain Ricky are from the first Minnesota crop of stallion Captainryanmichael.

Iron Sharpens Iron (sired by Banker Volo), who will start from post eight in the aged male trotting division with Rick Magee and tabbed at 6-1 odds on the morning line, is the only horse on the Saturday card that has a chance for his fourth Night of Champions crown, while there are several horses that will be trying for their third Championship tally, including Baby Flash, Fillister Photo, DP Freedoms Chrome and Peanutbutterfalcon.

The current all-time Running Aces top Night of Champions drivers include Rick Magee (29 wins), Nick Roland (28) and Dean Magee (24), while the top three trainers include Nick Roland (21 wins), Justin Anfinson (17) and Robert Lems (12).

Brady Jenson will collect his third consecutive leading driver and third consecutive leading trainer awards this weekend. He has driven 100 winners so far this meet and has a 16-win lead over Casey Leonard in the driver standings, while on the training side he currently sports 85 wins with a 24-win lead over Justin Anfinson.

Among the major wins for Jenson this season included the 1:50.1 performance by the four-year-old pacing mare K T Part E in the Ron Banks Memorial FFA on June 28, making her the fastest female pacer ever at Running Aces.

The closing night program on Saturday will offer mandatory payouts in all of the multi-race wagers including the 20-cent Pick-5 Jackpot bet, which currently has a carryover of $24,046.34 and will start in race eight on Saturday. 

Guest broadcaster Heather Wilder and guest bugler Ken Walker will also be on hand for the Night of Champions festivities. The Running Aces broadcast will start 30 minutes earlier than usual on Saturday night, at 5 p.m. (CDT). 

(Running Aces; photo of Slipped Onmybeans from a previous win at Running Aces)