Although he didn't lower his own all-time, all-age track trotting record of 1:54.4, Celebrity Hercules did prove once again that he is unstoppable at Running Aces.

Assigned the outside Post 9 in a full field of the best trotters racing in Minnesota, the seven-year-old Kadabra gelding steadily moved up while parked out during the entire first-half mile -- reached in :58.2 -- then cruised home an easy two and a half-length winner in 1:55.3.

The winner's share of the $10,000 purse increased Celebrity Hercules' seasonal bankroll to $72,755 and career earnings to $376,776. The pride of the Dandy Farms Stable, trained in Minnesota by Jim Ellison, has now won four consecutive Open Trots, with the first two coming at Balmoral Park in Illinois and the latest two at Running Aces.

"While we pride ourselves in providing the best possible racing for our fans, this may be the first horse in our six-year history for which we just can't provide adequate competition. I once had the superstar trotter Manfred Hanover race against Open pacers at Northfield Park, and he finished third," mused the track's director of racing, Gregg Keidel. "Unless 'Hercules' wants to try something like that, I suspect he'll have to ship to another venue to find a race. He's just that good!"

The $7,000 championship final of the Future Stars late-closing series for pacing fillies was also contested, with Ideal Odds (driven by Jason Ryan) winning handily in 1:56.3. Owned by Michael Timpano, the Western Ideal lass beat runnerup Peanutbutternhoney (Ryan Lems) with Ileana Steele (Rick Magee) and SB Bettys Ideal (Gerry Longo) dead-heating for the show dough.

A pair of $6,750 Minnesota-sired events for freshmen pacers also went postward. The first split, for two-year-old fillies, was won in track-record time by Delco Voracious (John DeLong) in 1:56. The daughter of Voracious Hanover is owned by Jesse DeLong and trained by Justin Anfinson. Brilliant Splendor (Nick Roland) was second and Dakota Law (Will Roland) third.

The DeLong-Anfinson combination was also successful in the colts and geldings division, as Waltzacrossthewire won by three-quarters of a length over Cyber Cowboy (Tim Maier) and Im So Handsome (Adam Hauser). The 1:59.2 clocking included a final panel of :29.1.

(Running Aces)