Running Aces hosted a nine-race program featuring a pair of Open events and Minnesota-sired consolations on Friday, Sept. 18 to kick off Champions Weekend.

Trained and driven by Luke Plano, Alta Revelry N was a gate-to-wire winner in the co-featured $41,667 Open Handicap Pace, posting a sharp 1:51.1 mile over the 'good' track for his seventh win of the year in 29 starts. Favourite Cash Money Twenty (Dean Magee) closed from last to nose out Dandys Freedom (Casey Leonard) for second money a half-length behind the winner, who paid $8.60 as the 3-1 second wagering choice.

Alta Revelry N has finished top two in 11 of his 13 starts facing the best pacers at Running Aces since joining the Plano barn in May. The eight-year-old Sunshine Beach-Alta Michaela gelding now has 35 career wins and total earnings of $583,333 for owner J M F Racing of Freehold, New Jersey. 

Swan Jefe delivered a sharp closing effort in the $41,667 mile-and-a-quarter Open Trot event as the longest shot on the board at 15-1. Rick Magee was the winning driver for trainer Justin Anfinson and owners Jay DeLong of Clinton, Wisconsin and John DeLong of Anderson, Indiana. Swan Jefe covered the mile-and-a-quarter distance in 2:26.1, while All Champy (Nick Roland) finished three-quarters of a length behind and Escaper (Josiah Miller) completed the trifecta just ahead of even-money favourite Fifty Rivers (Casey Leonard).

Winless in his debut season as a three-year-old last year, the Swan For All-Youre Majestic gelding has seven wins and four seconds in his 14 starts since arriving in Minnesota. He returned $32.20 for the upset win.

Ahead of Saturday's championships, Running Aces hosted four $20,833 Minnesota-sired consolation events, which went to two-year-old pacing filly Fancy Gulf Photo in 2:00.2 for trainer/driver Casey Leonard; two-year-old pacing gelding Arts Finale in 1:56 with Rick Magee driving for trainer Mikaela Delgiudice; three-year-old pacing gelding Just Like Gotti in 1:57 for trainer/driver Brady Jenson; and older pacing gelding Overtheedgeofhonor in 1:54.3 for trainer/driver Nick Roland. The $10,417 'B' consolation for two-year-old male pacers was won by Cowboying Dan, driven by Adam Hauser, in 1:57.4 for the Justin Anfinson stable.

Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Saturday for the Minnesota Night of Champions program, which features $780,000 USD in purses and mandatory payouts in all wagering pools. 

(With files from Running Aces; photo of Alta Revelry N winning on Sept. 18)