The special Wednesday night, July 3 holiday racing program at Running Aces featured Minnesota-sired sophomore action.
El Parrandero Q (pictured above) successfully advanced to three-in-a-row with an impressive and assertive effort in the $23,288 sophomore boys ‘A’ division. Guided by Jacob Cutting, the Wind Me Up gelding left sharply from post four to grab the early lead then yielded to let Flushing Art (Brady Jenson) take a brief stint on the front before reclaiming the top down the backstretch.
Once back on top, El Parrandero Q paced strong and there were no anxious moments. He checked in a clear two-length winner in 1:55.1 for his eighth career tally from 16 starts for owner Triple Q Stables and trainer Edwin Quevedo. Fabiola Quevedo is the winning breeder.
El Parrandero Q paid $3.20 to win. Celebrity Status (Nick Roland) was a clear second best and Flickadawrist (Jeff Hunt) was home in third.
Apple Juice also had the services of Cutting and posted a career-best mile to capture the $23,288 fillies ‘A’ split in 1:53.4 over Deja Vu Babyboo (Nick Roland) and TJB Secreharriet (Mooney Svendsen).
Cutting wasted no time in getting the star filly by Fancy Schmancy to the front and they controlled every aspect of the affair while TJB Secreharriet sat the pocket and Deja Vu Babyboo tracked from third early before moving into second down the backside.
Apple Juice paid $2.60 to win now has11 career victories from 20 career starts and has earned nearly $150,000 for owner, trainer and breeder Scott Banitt.
Another Tuff Woman dominated the $11,644 sophomore ‘B’ pace to register her fifth win of the year in 1:56.3 with Roland in the bike for owners Alan & Cheryl Sandbulte and trainer Jose Castillo. The Wind Me Up filly returned $2.20 as the heavy favourite and was five lengths better than Winning It Up (Svendsen), who was well clear of Say Sos Wind Up (James Kennedy) in third.
Two Pistol Annie and driver Kennedy held on gamely to score a gate-to-wire tally as the heavy favourite ($2.20) in the $21,233 Mares Open Handicap Pace, getting home a neck in front of Crazy Cute (Svendsen) with JK My Girl (Irvine) a close third in 1:54.1. The four-year-old Lazarus N mare is owned by Dave Dobbelmann and trained by Edwin Quevedo.
Jenson led the program with four driving wins and four training wins while Kennedy registered a driving triple and Cutting a double. Trainers Williams Hernandez and Edwin Quevedo also posted doubles on Wednesday night.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday, July 7 with a 12-race program that will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT).
(With files from Running Aces)