After brief successful stints at both Hoosier Park and Scioto Downs to open his 2013 campaign, Tyber Tyke was shipped to Running Aces in Minnesota and responded with an impressive 1:51.3 triumph in the $10,000 Ppen Pace on Tuesday night.
Trainer Ron Wrenn called upon 2012's leading driver Nick Roland to guide the four-year-old gelded son of Panspacificflight to the fastest mile ever recorded in Minnesota by a four-year-old gelding.
The all-time, all-age track record of 1:51.1 by Restless Yankee is just two-fifths of a second quicker, and Tyber Tyke's mile was managed on a 60 degree evening with a brisk wind. Dorothy Miller of Delphos, Ohio owns the new track record holder who is nearing $100,000 in career earnings. Six Gun (Jason Ryan), recently arrived from Ontario, was just a head behind, with Mayfield Hanover (John De Long), a newcomer from Michigan, finishing third.
For De Long, the show finish in the $10,000 open pace was just part of a stellar evening for the Season One leading driver at Running Aces in 2008 when he was just 19 years old. Now 24, the Chicago-based reinsman won three of the first four races (in addition to a pair of qualifying races prior to the program), then capped off the night with his fourth win in the $9,000 fillies and mares open pace.
As third choice in the betting, De Long was content to sit last with Placen First in the six-horse field until moving to the outside with a lap to go and eventually wearing the field down with a :27.4 closing panel to win in 1:54.
Trainer Jenni King also owns the four-year-old Minnesota-sired mare who now sports 11 wins in 50 lifetime starts and earnings over $70,000. Still Electric (Ridge Warren) was second with Scooter Babe (Steve Wiseman) garnering the show dough.
(Running Aces)