The Tuesday afternoon (July 7) harness racing program at Running Aces featured two $10,000 Open pacing events with nine talented mares lining up for the distaff open and nine talented male pacers lining up for the horses & geldings open.
In the Mares feature, Last Flight In N was bet down to even money favouritism from post 6 while Amasa Arion was also well supported at 2-1 from post 9. Both Always Be Lucy and Pull The Shade were sent off at 7-1 odds.
Always Be Lucy blasted from the gate but faced an immediate challenge from McPansy, who took the front and registered the first quarter in :27.4 before yielding the lead back to Always Be Lucy.
Last Flight In N launched an attack at the three-eighth mark and swept to the front while clearing before the half in :56 seconds. Last Flight In N remained on the lead past three-quarters in 1:24.3 and kept the front until the head of the lane as there were several rivals swarming in.
Pull The Shade and Always Be Lucy were attacking into the stretch but Amasa Arion tipped widest of all for the drive and was loaded with pace, surging past them all to register a one-and-three-quarter length victory in 1:53.2 over Always Be Lucy, Pull The Shade and McPansy.
Amasa Arion ($6.20) is a five-year-old daughter of Western Thorn and is owned by Kristy Casagranda and also trained and driven by Rick Magee. The win today was the second in just three starts on the year for Amasa Arion, and pushed her career bankroll to $93,449.
The Horses & Geldings Open also had two clear favourites in the wagering as Heza Real Diamond was 6-5 as the top choice from post 8 over Indiana invader Rockin Speed who was 2-1 from post 9. Royale Big Guy garnered lukewarm support as the third choice at 6-1.
When the gate released the field, Stuckey Dote had the most early speed while Rockin Speed left from the far outside and parked through the :27 opening quarter before making the front near the three-eighths mile juncture.
Royale Big Guy was the next to try for the front and hounded the leader through a :56.1 half and three-quarters in 1:23.4.
As they turned for home Royale Big Guy drew on even terms with Rockin Speed but horses were closing from both sides. Heza Real Diamond tipped wide with a strong brush to take a deep-stretch lead while Stuckey Dote and Top Notch both closed fast on the inside. Heza Real Diamond paced strong to the wire and checked in a three-quarter lengths winner over Stuckey Dote, Top Notch and Rockin Speed in 1:51.4.
Heza Real Diamond ($4.60) has now won seven of eleven starts in 2020 and has recorded sixteen career victories, today's score edged the 4 year old gelded son of Allamerican Native over the century mark in lifetime earnings-to $100,150. The winner is owned by Orlando Nevarez and trained by Edwin Quevedo. Nick Roland drove the winner.
Multiple race winners today included drivers Lemoyne 'Mooney' Svendsen, Dean Magee, and Pat Berry, each with two wins. Gerald Longo picked up two training wins on the Tuesday card.
Live Racing returns to Running Aces on Saturday (July 11) at 1:00 p.m. (CDT) and will feature a carryover in the 20-cent Pick-5 Jackpot wager of $6,135.44.
(Running Aces)