On Sunday, May 19, the 2024 harness racing season opener at Running Aces will feature a six-pack of talented trotters in the $15,500 (USD) Open handicap event, which offers a possible continuation of the recent rivalry between Pridecrest and Jack Rabbit Slims.
Those two square-gaiters have had close to the same race schedule since Feb. 16, fighting it out week after week in the top trots at Cal Expo, with Pridecrest getting the win five times during that stretch to Jack Rabbit Slims' two wins.
The pair has been one-two in the last three starts with Pridecrest prevailing in all of those recent outings. Three weeks and nearly 2,000 miles removed from their most recent battle in Sacramento, the pair will headline the season opening card at Running Aces and are expected to be the top two favourites in the feature race.
Pridecrest and driver Mooney Svendsen will start from the outside post in the six-horse affair and has been tabbed as the 8-5 morning line choice with Jack Rabbit Slims (Luke Plano) starting just inside of him in post five and carrying a morning line of 9-5.
Pridecrest is a classy 12-year-old Angus Hall gelding owned by Chris Schick and trained by Kathleen Plested. He has seven wins and three seconds from 11 outings this year and shows 64 career wins and earnings of $578,756 coming into Sunday's event. He is also the fastest trotter ever at Running Aces, taking the overall Aces trotting track record of 1:53.4 all the way back in June of 2018.
Jack Rabbit Slims is a five-year-old Muscle Hill gelding who is also owned by Schick and is trained by Plano. He shows a summary of 2-4-1 from eight seasonal starts and has 11 career wins and earnings of $112,675 to date.
Also among the supporting cast in the feature event is (5-1) third choice Help Page (Sean Smithpeters), who is the only horse to have recently beaten both of the aforementioned favourites, doing so on March 29 with a season's best 1:56.2 effort. He will start from post three for trainer Alexia Kehl.
Completing the field, from the rail out, will be Dylan The Great (Jacob Cutting, 8-1), Warrawee Whisper (Brady Jenson, 8-1) and Yo Lucky Moni (Dean Magee, 6-1).
The opening night program will offer a total of 10 races, with first post at 6 p.m. (CDT).
In addition to Win, Place, Show, Exacta, Trifecta and Superfecta betting, the Running Aces nightly wagering format also offers a 20-cent Place Pick-All, two Pick-3 and two Pick-4 sequences, two Pentafectas and a late Daily Double. The popular 20-cent Pick-5 Jackpot wager is also offered and covers the last five races each night.
Pepsi Family Night specials start one hour before the first race and there is a Running Aces harness racing handkerchief giveaway to the first 500 guests who purchase a live racing program.
The weekly racing schedule at Running Aces for 2024 will be Tuesday (7 p.m.), and Thursday and Sunday (both 6 p.m.) through Sept. 21.
Visit the track's website at runaces.com to view the full racing calendar, upcoming promotions and featured race nights, as well as handicapping tips and selections, racing statistics and more.
(Running Aces)