Always Be Lucy reeled in a tiring pacesetter and soared to a 1:52 victory in the $10,000 Mares Open Pace at Running Aces on Tuesday (June 30).
Race-favourite Amasa Arion blasted fastest from the gate and took immediate control while registering a :26.4 first quarter with Always Be Lucy leaving fast and easing into the pocket in front of Pull The Shade and Last Flight In.
Driver Rick Magee slowed things just a bit in the next panel to turn in a half mile in :55 while keeping the field lined up behind his mare. There were no challengers for Amasa Arion as they rounded for home and stopped the timer in 1:23 with a two-length cushion, but as they turned into the lane Always Be Lucy was inching closer in the pocket.
In deep stretch Always Be Lucy ($9.40) paced strongest to the wire, just enough so to get up right on the line by a neck over Amasa Arion in 1:52, establishing a lifetime mark. Last Flight In was home third over Pull The Shade who took fourth.
Always Be Lucy is a five-year-old daughter of Always A Virgin, owned by Karma Racing Inc. and trained by Don Harmon. She collected her 14th win and boosted her earnings to $97,486.
The $10,000 Open Handicap Pace for horses and geldings was also a featured event on Tuesday, and saw heavy-favourite and part of an entry (with Hoo Nien A) Keep On Rocking A (Pat Berry, $2.40) score for the second-straight week. He led every step and fought gamely through the lane to keep a neck in front of Heza Real Diamond at the wire in a 1:51.2 mile. It was the fifth win from eight starts in 2020 for Keep On Rocking A, who is owned and trained by Chris Scicluna and now has earnings of $248,742.
Other impressive winners on Tuesday included last year's three-year-old Minnesota-Sired pacing colt of the year SB Bodacious (Rick Magee, $8.20) who powered to the front early and never looked back to score a one-length tally in 1:52.4, while perennial top Minnesota aged pacer Stuckey Dote (Rick Magee, $2.80) picked up his first Aces win of 2020 in 1:52.4 as well. Haulin Oats (Nick Roland, $3.60) became the first horse to win three races this year at Running Aces with his third-consecutive dominating performance, stopping the timer today in 1:55.1.
Rick Magee led all drivers at Running Aces on Tuesday, with three wins, while Nick Roland scored a double. On the training side both Rick Bertrand and Don Harmon had two winners on the day.
Live Racing returns to Running Aces with a special Friday card on July 3 at 1:00 p.m. (CDT). There is no live racing on Saturday (July 4). Friday's program will feature a carryover in the 20-cent Pick-5 Jackpot Wager of $3,509.87.
(Running Aces)