The featured event on the Tuesday evening (August 24) harness racing program at Running Aces was the $17,500 Open Handicap Pace, with seven talented pacers lining up behind the gate.
Last week’s winner SB Bodacious (Rick Magee) was the heavy favourite on the board at 3-5 and last week’s runner-up So So De Vie (Luke Plano) was well supported at 4-1 in the win pool.
Castle Flight (Brian Detgen) was fastest off the car from post six to take the early lead, while Whatchyastarinat (Tony Kerwood) also left sharply from post five to secure the pocket and Elusive Image was away quickly from the inside post to get away in third as they posted a :27.3 opening quarter.
Plano sent So So De Vie into action just past the quarter mark and they swept to the lead and posted a solid middle half in :56.3 while race favourite SB Bodacious came to call on the outside and was looming large in second. As they rounded for home, So So De Vie kicked into another gear and was in full stride through the lane, keeping SB Bodacious in chase mode.
So So De Vie ($10) checked in 2-3/4 lengths ahead at the wire in a sharp 1:52.2 mile, while SB Bodacious held second over a fast-closing Parklane Jet (Dean Magee).
The winner is a four-year-old son of American Ideal, owned by Jose Cervantes and trained by Edward Hernandez. He now has seven wins on the season and 14 career victories.
The $8,100 Two-Year-Old Open Trot went to Shadow Fax (Dean Magee, $50.60), who rallied from the back of the pack to get up by a nose at the wire in 2:00.2 for his first career win. The gelded son of Tamarind is owned by Set The Pace Racing and is trained by Nick Roland. Banker Volo filly Triggered (Mooney Svendsen) was home second in the tight photo finish.
Drivers Jacob Cutting, Rick Magee and Dean Magee all posted doubles on the Tuesday card while Cutting also registered a training double.
Live racing returns to Running Aces on Thursday (August 26) with first post at 6:05 p.m. (CDT) and will feature a carryover of $936.49 in the Pick-5 Jackpot wager, as well as a carryover of $1,354.98 in the 50 cent Hi-5 wager.
(Running Aces)