Another track record was turned in on Saturday night (Aug. 4) at Running Aces, when Ideal Jesse trotted away from his rivals to post a huge win by 6-3/4 lengths in 1:56.1 and shatter the previous mark for four-year-old trotting stallions (2:02).
This is the second track record for Ideal Jesse, as he holds the mark for three-year-old colts (also 1:56.1) taken last June. In Saturday's event, a $4,500 conditioned race, Ideal Jesse started from the outside post 9, and trainer-driver James Yoder floated him off the gate into fourth along the pylons and waited there until just before the half before launching a first-over attack. Ideal Jesse established the lead near the five-eighths mark and quickly opened up on the field, drawing away and trotting strongly to the wire to arrive home well ahead of the rest. The record-setting victory was the second in 13 starts this year for the son of Jailhouse Jesse, who now has 11 career wins and $112,324 in the bank. Ideal Jesse ($4.40) is owned by Cheyenne Yoder.
There were two divisions of the Winners-Over Pace on the Saturday program, each going for $10,000. In the first split, Bettors Promise (Lemoyne Svendsen, $8.80) turned in another ultra-impressive tally for his second straight top-level win. From post 7, Bettors Promise engaged in a torrid early battle for the lead with Bestinthebusiness (James Yoder). When the dust cleared, Bettors Promise had taken command through a :26.2 early stanza, and held command through the remaining fractions of :55 and 1:22.4 before facing off once again against Bestinthebusiness in the stretch. Bettors Promise fought gamely to keep a neck up at the line and stop the timer in 1:51, just a tick off the overall track mark. The impressive victory tonight was the eighth win in 25 starts this year for the seven-year-old Bettors Delight gelding, who now has $43,622 in the bank this season for owners Richard Morita and David Yamada and trainer Jesse Pacheco.
In the other Winners-Over split, Whatchyastarinat (James Yoder, $8.40) turned in a career best performance in 1:52 for his first win of the season in seven races. Driver James Yoder fired him quickly off the gate from post 5, with Holdingallthecards (Tim Maier) also leaving quickly from post 7. After a short tussle, Holdingallthecards took command and Whatchyastarinat picked up the pocket ride. That order remained until they straightened for home, with Whatchyastarinat exploding from the pocket to edge past a game leader, getting up to win by half a length in the end. The winner is a six-year-old gelding by Up Front Brad who now has 18 career wins. He is trained by Gene Miller for Wolfswinkel Pacers, Inc.
Live racing continues at Running Aces three nights a week, with first post at 6:00 p.m. CDT on weekends and 7:00 p.m. CDT on Tuesdays. The card for Sunday (August 5) features several carryovers: the early Pick 4 ($1,163.36), the 20-cent Pick 5 ($8,227.19) and the 50-cent Hi-5 ($651.94).
(Running Aces)