The Tuesday, July 28 harness racing card at Running Aces featured six divisions of Minnesota-sired freshman trotters and pacers as well as an Open Handicap II Pace.
Captain Ricky (sired by Captainryanmichael) stole the show with a very impressive and career-best 4-1/4-length romp in the $22,535 'A' division for pacing colts. Driver Casey Leonard floated Captain Ricky away in fourth early from post eight while Fancy Cruiser (Dean Magee) and Cacheforthedevil (Nick Roland) battled for the front through a scorching :26.4 opening stanza. Bombi Mooney Svendsen) made a big move to the front down the backstretch and Leonard guided Captain Ricky to the outside as they headed for the far turn and rolled up alongside the leaders as they swung for the stretch drive after middle splits of :56.2 and 1:24.4. In the lane, Captain Ricky kicked into high gear and took the lead with authority, drawing clear with every stride to leave his rivals scrambling for second money. Hammerin Harlan (Scott Cisco) emerged from the pack to grab the place spot while Bombi was forced to settle for third in the 1:54.2 mile.
The win was the third in five starts for Captain Ricky, who is trained by Justin Anfinson for owners Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte of Maurice, Iowa and Stephanie Anfinson of Kenyon, Minnesota. Sent postward as the 3-2 second favourite, he paid $5 to win.
Slipped Onmybeans (also sired by Captainryanmichael) delivered yet again as the overwhelming public choice and registered her fifth win from six outings in the $22,535 'A' division for pacing fillies, taking a new career mark of 1:54.4 over Illbedajudgeofthat (Rick Magee) and Lady Gulf (Brady Jenson). Dean Magee was the winning driver for owner/trainer Scott Banitt. The win mutuel was $2.10.
The $24,648 freshman trot winners included the Justin Gould-trained SV Sparklin Silver (sired by Be The Best) with driver James Gould in a career-best 2:03.3 in the filly division, paying $73.20 for the upset, and Brady Jenson trainee Wishingiwasfishing (sired by New Jersey Viking) with driver Brandon Jenson in a career-best 2:01.1, as the 2-1 second choice in the colt division.
The $15,593 class "B" freshman pace went to trainer Tony Huffman's A A Ron (sired by Gulf Shores) and driver Luke Plano in a career-best 1:54.2 and the $9,859 "C" division went to Arts Finale (sired by Arts Chip), who posted his first career win in 1:57.3 with Rick Magee driving for trainer Mikaela Delgiudice.
Speaking Volumes (sired by Artspeak) went gate-to-wire in the $17,958 Open II Handicap Pace in 1:52.4 for his fourth win of the season for trainer Brady Jenson, holding off stablemate PD The Big Easy (Brady Jenson) and favourite Dandys Freedom (Carey Leonard). Rick Magee drove the $11.40 winner.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces for an 11-race program on Thursday, July 30 with first post scheduled for 6 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Running Aces)