An enthusiastic throng of racing fans returned to Running Aces Saturday night to witness the “re-opening” of the 2011 season, which was interrupted for three weeks by a state government shutdown
. Nine races were contested in front of over 2,000 patrons on a steamy Minnesota night with a few spotty thunderstorms thrown in for good measure.
Blazing Fury was the star of the show, winning an $8,000 Fillies & Mares Open Pace in 1:54.4.
Driver-trainer Rick Magee adepted zoomed up the newly-installed inside passing lane in the stretch to just nip two standout adversaries for the first time in four tries this year. The five-year-old Relentless Yankee mare, owned by the Van Otterloo Stable of Rock Valley, Iowa, bested Dandy Di (Nick Roland) and Little Tootsie (Dean Magee) in a three-horse photo.
It was the fourth win of the season for Blazing Fury, the other three at Maywood Park in Chicago, and the clocking equalled her lifetime best.
It was one of three wins of the program for the Van Otterloo Stable, with Feedbag Fillie (Rick Magee) and Blazin With Pride (Ryan Lems) also visiting the winner’s circle. Dave Flinn conditions the latter pair.
A pair of trotters owned by Gary Liles and Wanda Wilken of Iowa and trained by Kim Johnson captured the first leg $4,000 divisions of the “Royal Flush” trotting series for non-winners of two pari-mutuel races.
Dew Hanover (Craig Banks) won the first split in 2:02.1 over Fritter (Dean Magee) and Speedy Sensation (Rick Magee). The second division winner was Blaster (Dean Magee), who held off Amidst (Evan Coblentz) and Flea Flicker (Joey Mapes).
Racing continues at Running Aces on Sunday night with a 7 p.m. CST post.
(Running Aces)