Escaper and driver Billy Mann were ready for battle when the starter said "go" in the $20,205 Open Handicap Trot at Running Aces on Sunday, May 25.
The duo charged away quickly from the outside post in the six-horse field and had no trouble making it to the front while Iron Sharpens Iron (Rick Magee) also left sharply from the inside post and secured the pocket spot. Chiplosive (Brady Jenson) landed in third and they were single file through the opening fractions of :28.1 and :59.
Greentea (Luke Plano) launched a backside bid from fourth, which prompted both Yo Lucky Money (Dean Magee) and Ice Breakers K (Bryan Quevedo) to tip out into the cover flow and the field was tightly packed as they rounded past three-quarters in 1:27.2.
In the lane, Escaper kept to his task and turned back the challenge from Greentea while Iron Sharpens Iron took closer order from the pocket, but Escaper had plenty left for the final stages and once again evaded his rivals, scoring a one-length tally in 1:56.3 to make it two wins in a row at Aces and three in a row overall. Iron Sharpens Iron was second best and Longshot Ice Breakers K rallied late for third money.
The four-year-old Muscle Hill-Top Expectations gelding is owned by Terrence Smith and is trained by Maria Alvarez for the Williams Hernandez stable. Escaper paid $3.80 to win as the bettors' choice.
Attraente ($2.40) and driver Rick Magee posted a very attractive looking win in the $8,219 first leg of the Banker Volo Trotting Series, going gate-to-wire in 1:58.4 over SB Eye Candy (Mooney Svendsen) and Impressive Landing (Mann). It was the third victory in just five career starts for the Gimpanze-Bellamente sophomore filly, who is trained by Elson Miller and is owned by Jana Rucker and CJ Christianson.
Rosetta ($3) posted a game effort with Dean Magee in the bike to capture the $11,644 sophomore Open trotting tilt in 2:00, getting home three-quarters of a length better than SHS Southern Pride (Jenson) with longshot Its Gonna Be Mae (Sean Smithpeters) rounding out the top three. The win was the fifth from nine starts this year for the Walner-Kristine Anne filly, who is also trained by Miller and owned by Dr. Ken Rucker.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Tuesday, May 27 for a nine-race program that will get underway at 7 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Running Aces)