The 2024 Minnesota harness racing season got underway on Sunday, May 5 at the Cannon Falls fairgrounds with 10 races providing tune-up opportunities for horses getting ready for the upcoming Running Aces meet, which gets underway on Sunday, May 19.
Marktentwentyseven (pictured above) stole the show with the biggest performance on the card, finishing a 10-length winner in the fastest mile of the day, a 1:58.2 effort, which also boasted the fastest final quarter of the afternoon (:28 flat) in a $1,370 division of the Free-For-All Pace.
Brady Jenson was the winning driver and he wasted no time in putting the now 10-year-old Up Front Brad gelding into play, powering off the gate from post four to quickly grab the pocket behind pacesetter Sign Of The Times (Adam Hauser) as they clicked off a quick opening quarter in :30.2 over the track rated as slow.
Marktentwentyseven tracked the leader intently through the middle stages (:59.4 and 1:30.1) before exploding from the pocket around the far turn and powering through the stretch to post his 27th career win. Nine years ago during his freshman campaign, he was also winner at Cannon Falls the first time he saw the track.
It's a family affair with 'Mark' as both Brandon and Brady Jenson are frequently listed as trainer and both brothers have registered many driving wins behind the bay pacer owned by their dad, Larry Jenson. Brandon is also listed as the breeder.
Marktentwentyseven has now earned $192,140 so far in his productive career while never posting a winless season. After Sunday's performance, he appears to be in great form as he gets ready to take on this year's Running Aces season.
Team Jenson registered a double on the program when What Ya Thinkin opened up his nine-year-old campaign with a victory in 2:01.1 in another division of the Free-For-All Pace. Brady Jenson and What Ya Thinkin went to the front and then yielded to Intheskyrocket A (Adam Hauser). Jenson pulled the right line as they rounded for home and the top two pacers battled to the finish, with What Ya Thinkin grabbing the win by a neck. Brady also owns the Whats Up Now gelding and Brandon was down as trainer.
Cannon Falls' overall track record holder Zanetti (1:56.2 in 2022) also made his 2024 debut a winning one on Sunday, posting a strong gate-to-wire win in the featured Free-For-All division in 2:01.4 with Rick Magee in the bike. The now eight-year-old son of A Rocknroll Dance checked in three lengths ahead of his stablemate, Antetokuompo (Brady Jenson). The top two finishers are owned by Rick Magee and trained by Mikaela Del Giudice.
Perennial Minnesota trotting star Bringoverthemoney did not disappoint in his season debut, leading every step of the featured trot and posting a 3-1/2-length victory in 2:03.4 to kick off his nine-year-old campaign in style with Dean Magee in the bike. The son of Money Talks is the richest Minnesota-sired trotter in history and he appears poised to pick up right where he left off in 2023 when he won six races and more than $78,000 for owner Joshua Horvat and trainer/breeder Katie Horvat.
Wisco On A Mission posted a very impressive win with a big mid-race move from the back of the pack to take the lead heading around the final turn, en route to a 3-1/4-length tally in a career-best time of 2:08 in the sophomore filly trot. Rick Magee was the winning driver behind the Southwind Flash miss for trainer Justin Anfinson and owners Jay De Long and Terry Knothe.
The other winners on the program included Moon Kid Photo in the sophomore colt trot (James Gould, 2:06.4), Delco Irene in the sophomore filly pace (Jay De Long, 2:06.1), King Of Disco in the other sophomore colt trot (Dean Magee, 2:18), Wisco Incredible in the sophomore colt pace (Adam Hauser, 2:08.1) and Wilamar Spark in the Free-For-All Trot (Adam Hauser, 2:03).
Trainer Justin Anfinson led the day with four wins with all four winners owned wholly or in part by Jay De Long. Katie Horvat, Mikaela Del Giudice and Brandon Jenson each had training doubles and while Rick Magee, Dean Magee, Adam Hauser and Brady Jenson all had driving doubles.
Running Aces will hold it's first round of pre-season qualifiers on Thursday, May 9 and then Cannon Falls will host another race day on Saturday, May 11 before the final pre-season qualifiers, which will take place at Running Aces on Tuesday, May 14.
(With files from Running Aces)