Running Aces' Tuesday, July 17 card featured the weekly Mares $12,000 Open Handicap Pace and Delightfully Wild remained razor sharp by delivering a gate-to-wire winning performance in 1:53.4 for her 10th victory of the season.
Delightfully Wild went as the race favourite as part of a 2 horse entry and she drew post seven in the talented field of 7 distaffers.
Driver Lemoyne Svendsen sent her from the gate, engaging in an early battle with last week’s winner Kiss On The Lips. Delightfully Wild established command quickly and remained on top through the opening splits of :27.1 and :57.2 before facing strong pressure from her stablemate Bettor Lady as they rounded the final bend.
Passing three-quarters in 1:26.2, Delightfully Wild still had command turning into the stretch but Kiss On The Lips stayed close in the pocket and Whatitdo Babyboo rallied three wide into the stretch, taking a narrow lead close to the wire. Delightfully Wild did not relent and fought back to win by a neck Kiss On The Lips was surging along the inside to take second with Whatitdo Babyboo third.
Returning $4.60 to win, Delighfully Wild is a five-year-old by Bettor’s Delight owned by Richard Morita and David Yamada and trained by Jessie Pacheco.
The two-year-olds invaded the track on Tuesday night at Running Aces, kicking off the card with Burning Blaze delivering on his promise showed in two sharp qualifying wins.
The gelding by Wind Me Up turned in a gate-to-wire tally in 1:57.3 in his $8,500 Minnesota-Sired event, checking in over six lengths ahead of his rivals. Burning Blaze, paying $2.40 to win, is owned by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and Edward Gutin and is trained by Justin Anfinson.
MD Magic converted a pocket trip into a debut victory in the $14,000 Minnesota-Sired Two-Year-Old Trot, stopping the timer in 2:04 for trainer-driver Nick Roland and owners Set The Pace Racing, LLC. MD Magic, paying $9.80, is a gelding by Braggart. Lone Pine Shuzy was a very sharp second, after setting the fractions.
Windmeupnwatchmego came from off the pace and posted a 1:59.4 win in the $8,500 Two-Year-Old Filly Pace with Trinitysfancyfilly finishing second, beaten just a half-length. The winning filly is by Wind Me Up and is owned by Richard Davelaar, trained by Gordon Graham and was driven by Dean Magee.
This coming weekend at Running Aces is Dan Patch weekend with the Dan Patch Historical Society on-site on Saturday, July 21 and also featuring a Horse & Driver bobble-head giveaway and live music.
Saturday’s featured races are the $25,000 Minnesota-Preferred Trot and $25,000 Minnesota-Preferred Pace.
Sunday, July 22 is a huge day for Minnesota Harness Racing, featuring the $50,000 Dan Patch Free-For-All Final and also featuring a live broadcast by North American Harness Update (NAHUPicks.com) and a day full of fan giveaways with a Grand Prize of a Trip for Two to the 2018 Hambletonian Stakes at The Meadowlands.
(With files from Running Aces)