Attraente treated fans to a dazzling performance on Sunday, June 1 at Running Aces, converting a perfect pocket trip into a 2-1/2-length tally in 1:56.3 to lower the track record for sophomore trotting fillies while picking up her second win in a row in the Banker Volo Series.
Impressive Landing (Billy Mann) darted from the gate and took the top while driver Rick Magee floated Attraente away from the gate with just enough speed to secure the pocket position in front of Cocoa Krispies (Nick Roland) as they completed the quarter in :28.3.
Impressive Landing stole a :30.3 second-quarter breather on the front and was well in control down the backside with Attraente travelling comfortably in the pocket while SB Eye Candy (Mooney Svendsen) made a first-over advance.
Attraente was clearly ready to pounce as they rounded past three-quarters in 1:28.1 and took aim at the leader as they swung for home. Impressive Landing dug in gamely but could not fend off the late surge and Attraente drew clear with authority inside the final sixteenth of a mile, stopping the timer at 1:56.3 to lower the divisional track mark by one-fifth of a second. SB Eye Candy was home third and was well clear of the rest of the field.
The winner, a daughter of Gimpanzee out of Bellamente, is trained by Elson Miller and owned by Jana Rucker and CJ Christianson of Fall Creek, Wisconsin.
Attraente paid $2.20 to win as the 1-9 favourite in the $8,219 second leg of the series.
A son of the series namesake Banker Volo, Iron Sharpens Iron and driver Rick Magee rallied late with an inside surge to win the $20,205 Open Handicap Trot on Sunday's card, getting home a half-length better than race favourite Escaper (Billy Mann) with Warrawee Whisper (Brady Jenson) a close third in a thrilling finish in the 1:55.4 mile.
Iron Sharpens Iron paid $7.40 to win as the 5-2 second choice and now has two wins from three starts this season and 27 career wins with career earnings of $326,283 for owner/trainer Dan Roland.
SHS Southern Pride (Southwind Flash-Heathers Pride) fought gamely to the wire to hold on by a neck over Its Gonna Be Mae (Sean Smithpeters) in a career-best 1:58.4 effort in the $23,973 Minnesota-sired sophomore filly trot with SHS Miss My Mama (Brady Jenson) getting home third. Rick Magee was the winning driver for trainer Justin Anfinson and owners Jay De Long and Terry Knothe. The win mutuel was $2.80.
Magee also piloted Peanutbutterfalcon (Quality Kemp-Lindys On Fire) to a gate-to-wire victory in the $23,973 colt and gelding division over Braggin Bliss (Nick Roland) and Tutti Frutti Rudy (Luke Plano) in 1:59. It was the eighth career win for Peanutbutterfalcon in 13 career outings and a $2 win ticket on the favourite paid $4.20. Dan Roland train for owner Jeralene Roland.
Rick Magee led the Sunday program with five driving wins while both Dan Roland and Maria Alvarez had training doubles.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Tuesday, June 3 for ‘Dollar Night’ with a nine-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Running Aces)