Minnesota-sired sophomore pacers were featured at Running Aces on Thursday, June 26, with four divisions going for a total purse of $68,493.
In the $20,548 ‘A’ division for colts and geldings, Swinging On By (Karpathian Kid-Swinging Again) posted a career-best mile and went gate-to-wire in 1:53.4 for his second win of the season in six starts.
Driver Dean Magee wasted no time getting him involved and sent him sharply away post four, quickly taking command while Blazin For Life (Brady Jenson) secured the pocket from the inside draw and High Country Baby (Billy Mann) got away in third in a :27.4 opening panel. The Minnesota Kid (Luke Plano) launched a first-over bid just before the half in :56.2, and Tutto Bene (Scott Cisco) followed the cover. The Minnesota Kid pressured the leader through three-quarters in 1:26.3, but Swinging On By ($3.60) shrugged off the challenge before drawing clear in the lane by 7-1/4 lengths while longshot Aint No Uppy Man (Rick Magee) rallied from the back to get the place spot over Blazin For Life.
Swinging On By is owned by trainer Brett Ballinger in partnership with Darren Taylor. The gelding shows career earnings of $148,060 with eight wins in 16 appearances.
Mele Kalikimaka (Three Of Clubs-Little Tootsie) captured the $20,548 'A' distaff division, front-stepping to a lifetime-best 1:55.1 victory. She took the lead from Miss May Bell (Jenson) just past the first station in :28, rattled off :57.2 and 1:26 middle splits, and turned away the first-over Linked To Chaos (Brian Detgen) before holding off Miss May Bell to win by a length. Skooch's Valentine (Cisco) finished third.
Mele Kalikimaka made it a sweep of the top-level contests for Ballinger, who trains her for owner/breeder Merlin Van Otterloo. The filly is undefeated in two starts this year and is three-for-six lifetime with $31,291 in earnings. She returned $2.80 to win.
Santhannah Winds (Wind Me Up-Hannah Grant) with driver Nick Roland flew from seventh to first in the final eighth of a mile and drew away by 3-1/2 lengths to earn her first career win in the $13,699 fillies ‘B’ split in 1:57.4. What An Alibi (Detgen) finished second over Bella Corona (Plano). The winner is one-for-two lifetime for trainer Justin Anfinson and owners Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte. She paid $20.40 to win.
Yellowstone Kid (Karpathian Kid-Jetta Blue Chip) went wire-to-wire with Billy Mann at the lines in a career-best 1:57.1 in the $13,699 colt-and-gelding ‘B’ division, returning $12.40. The gelding was 2-1/4 lengths the best over Easy Money Maker (Roland) with Im A Donkey (Adam Hauser) third. Anfinson conditions Yellowstone Kid, a four-time winner in 17 career starts, for Ken Stauffer.
Josiah Miller recorded his first career pari-mutuel training win on the card. The Streetsboro, Ohio resident steered his gelding, Kurt Longjohn, to victory in the sixth race. The pair cut the mile in 1:52.2 and won by 4-1/2 lengths. It took Miller three starts to break his maiden as a trainer. The driving win was his second in 24 starts; he earned his first win at the lines on June 17 behind Im A Skoldier.
Drivers Rick Magee, Roland, and Plano all had doubles while Plano and Ballinger each had training doubles.
Live racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday with a 12-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT)
(With files from Running Aces)