The $13,800 Open Handicap Pace was the featured event on the Tuesday night (August 17) harness racing program at Running Aces and it drew a talented field of seven to battle it out for weekly top pacing honours.
Last week’s winner Castle Flight (Nick Roland) was sent off as the slight favourite at 2-1 on the board, while SB Bodacious (Rick Magee) was also heavily supported at 2-1 in his highly anticipated racing return. The two favourites were the fastest off the starting car and they traded blows early, with Castle Flight working hard to clear the lead from post seven and SB Bodacious battling for the front from post six.
Roland was able to get to the front just before the :27.3 quarter, but Magee was not content to sit the pocket with SB Bodacious and they swept back to the lead near the three-eighths marker, while Elusive Image (Mooney Svendsen) got away in third and So So De Vie (Brady Jenson) settled in fourth. The half-mile was accomplished in :57.1 and Jenson got rolling first-over with So So De Vie and Stuckey Dote (Jacob Cutting) picked up the cover.
So So De Vie hounded the leader down the backstretch and around the far turn and the top two continued to go at it all the way to the wire, with SB Bodacious ($6.40) digging in gamely and holding on for a narrow victory by a nose over So So De Vie in 1:53.3 for his seventh win in 13 starts this year. Stuckey Dote rallied late to pick up third.
The winner is a five-year-old Minnesota-sired gelding by Voracious Hanover, also owned and trained by Magee.
The $17,250 Minnesota-sired freshman ‘A’ trot went to CR Promise To You ($33.80) for her first career pari-mutuel win. The Tom Ridge filly saved ground in fourth throughout and had plenty of trot as they straightened for home, with driver Brady Jenson steering her into the passing lane to sweep by the leaders for a 1-1/2 length tally in 2:01.1 while front-runner Calico Creek (Rick Magee) held second and race favourite Vickie’s Vacation (Nick Roland) checked in third. The winner is owned by Rick and Mr. Caroll Huffman, and is trained by Justin Anfinson.
The $11,500 ‘B’ split went to Triggered for her first career score. The daughter of Banker Volo dominated the affair after taking the lead before the half-mile marker, and was never in doubt once on the lead. She posted a 4-1/2-length win in 2:00.4 over Luna Love So Good (Brady Jenson) and Imaflashofpixie (Rick Magee). Triggered (Mooney Svendsen, $2.40) is owned and trained by Bob Lems, who is also the winning breeder.
Drivers Brady Jenson, Rick Magee and Dean Magee all posted doubles on the Tuesday card, while Jenson also completed a training double.
Live racing returns to Running Aces on Thursday (August 19) with first post at 6:05 p.m. (CDT).
(Running Aces)