The featured event on the Sunday night (June 30) harness racing program at Running Aces was the Ron Banks Memorial FFA Mares Pace Final, which boasted a very accomplished field of nine distaffers lining up behind the gate to battle it out for $47,945 in purse money.
Illusion Seelster (State Treasurer) and driver Jacob Cutting did not escape the attention of the betting public after her sharp 1:51.1 score in last week’s elimination round and she was sent off as favourite at just over even money while Two Pistol Annie and driver James Kennedy were given a 3-1 chance by punters.
Majors Miracle (Elson Miller) left very quickly from post seven and worked hard to take a brief lead near the :27.2 quarter mile before Cutting sent Illusion Seelster into action to take over the top just past the three-eighths mark and they were well settled on the lead at the :54.3 half mile checkpoint.
Kennedy and Two Pistol Annie got rolling just before they headed down the backside and made steady progress toward the front while Racin For Royalty (Brady Jenson) and Premier Delight (Jeff Hunt) followed the cover flow.
Illusion Seelester maintained full control around the far turn while registering three-panels in 1:22.1 and Two Pistol Annie was the closest pursuer as they swung for home.
In the stretch drive it was clearly a two-horse race and Illusion Seelster ($4.20) dug in gamely as Two Pistol Annie surged near the wire to come up three-quarters of a length short of victory in the 1:51 mile, which equaled the track records for both four-year-old pacing mares as well as all-aged pacing mares.
Rounding out the trifecta was 28-1 longshot Racin For Royalty.
The winner is owned by Terrence Smith and is trained by current leading trainer Williams Hernandez. She now shows 11 career wins from 44 starts and has earnings of $208,964 to date.
DP Freedoms Chrome (For You Almostfree) added another impressive win to his near perfect record with a dominating seven-length score in the $23,288 Minnesota-sired sophomore male ‘A’ trot in a career best 1:57.2 mile over Wherever Rio Goes and Bankers Quest.
James Gould was the winning pilot for owner Aimes Racing and trainer Elvin Zimmerman.
DP Freedoms Chrome ($2.10) now shows 13 wins from 14 career starts.
Bankers Grace (Banker Volo) delivered a sharp performance in the $23,288 fillies ‘A’ split, drawing away from her rivals late to record a five length win and a new lifetime mark of 1:58 while Baby Flash was second best and Adira Disa checked in third.
Rick Magee was the winning driver on Bankers Grace ($2.40) for owner/breeder Kennedy Roland and trainer Dan Roland.
DM King Ridge (Tom Ridge) got up in the last stride to capture victory in the $11,644 sophomore ‘B’ trot in a career best 2:02.1 while a nose better than Spicymoneymaker and two lengths better than Onecallthatsall in third.
Todd Warren was the winning pilot for owners Jay De Long and Stephanie Anfinson and trainer Justin Anfinson. The $2 win mutuel returned a hefty $37.00.
Domovoy (Triumphant Caviar) did not disappoint his many backers as he posted a gate-to-wire tally for two-in-a-row in the $21,233 Open trot.
Driver Luke Plano sent him from post seven to surge to the front of the field and take control near the :28.1 quarter mile pole. Once on top they held firm control throughout and drew away late for a 2-1/4 score over Grab Da Moni (Magee) and Winnerup (Roland) in the 1:54 mile.
Domovoy ($2.60) now shows five wins from 13 seasonal starts. He is owned by Dave Dobbelmann and Tom Carney and is trained by Edwin Quevedo.
Williams Hernandez led the Sunday program with three training wins while both Rick Magee and Jacob Cutting registered driving doubles.
Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Tuesday night (July 2) for ‘Dollar Night’ with a nine-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).
(Running Aces Casino, Hotel and Racetrack)