Another large crowd turned out at Running Aces Harness Park on Tuesday night and was treated to some outstanding racing and thrilling stretch drives, evidenced by the fact that six of the final seven races produced photo finishes.
The Open Handicap Pace was captured by Tyber Tyke for the third consecutive week. Trainer Ron Wrenn jumped into the sulky for the first time this week and the four-year-old gelding owned by Dorothy Miller responded with a winning 1:52.1 effort to give Wrenn his 1,995th career victory. Tyber Tyke, who will now get a well-deserved week off following his Minnesota three-peat, narrowly bested Six Gun (driven by Jason Ryan) with One And Only (Luke Plano) getting the show share of the $8,500 purse.
The $9,500 Fillies and Mares Open Pace saw Place N First win for the second time in three local seasonal starts for owner-trainer Jenni King and driver John De Long. The Minnesota-sired four-year-old was just a head better than Blazing Fury (Rick Magee) with Still Electric (Ridge Warren) also lapped-on at the finish.
A $7,000 conditioned and claiming pace produced another tight finish when the $10,000 claimer Yiannoulas Boy (Steve Wiseman) rallied to just nip two outstanding condition horses, Chewy Baca (Magee) and Armbro David (Warren), who couldn't be separated by the finish camera, by a neck in 1:53.4. Owned by Kathleen Plested and Mark Benvenga, it was also Yiannoulas Boy's second win in three tries since the Running Aces meet opened June 1.
Another divisional track record was also established early in the program when Red Star Fiona set the tone for the speedy evening by going the fastest mile ever recorded at Running Aces by a mare. The six-year-old daughter of Island Fantasy clocked an eye-popping 1:52.3 mile to capture a $4,000 distaff claiming event by four lengths for owner Lisa Kadle and trainer-driver Luke Plano. Trainer Gene Miller liked what he saw in Red Star Fiona's first two starts in Minnesota and claimed the victorious mare from the race for new owners Mark and James Hodgson.
A pair of $8,000 Minnesota-sired races for sophomores were also contested with Mnia Lightnpower (Tim Maier) an upset winner in the trotting event in 2:01.4 over Skeet Thunder and Rails of Victory. Heavily favoured Reds Place (De Long) dominated the colt pacers with an open-length 1:55.4 triumph over Cantholdmebackmack and Billied.
Racing resumes at Running Aces on Wednesday night with a 7:00 p.m. (CDT) first-race post time.
(Running Aces)