El Azteca (Gerry Longo), a consistent money-making trotter since arriving at Running Aces almost two months ago, broke through with his first Open class triumph on Sunday night, besting Jailer (Tim Maier) and Silence Son (Nick Roland) in 1:56.4.
After sitting third through an opening :28.2 quarter, the six-year-old son of Panama Hanover moved to the front before the :58 halfway station. From there, he cruised home an open-length winner for owner Marco Rios and trainer Bob Johnson. It was the eighth seasonal win for El Azteca and boosted his 2015 earnings to $38,172.
A race later, Rev Me Up (Tim Maier) captured a $5,500 conditioned event over a classy six-horse field of mares with career earnings of $1,275,201. The Mark P’Pool trainee topped Bad Feeling (Dean Magee) and Call Me Up (Travis Bowman) for her eighth win this year and 40th in her lifetime. The eight-year-old daughter of Park Place increased her career earnings to $594,528 with the 1:55.2 score.
Drivers Steve Wiseman, Luke Plano and Gerry Longo all notched doubles on the program.
(Running Aces)