The Thursday evening harness racing program at Running Aces featured three Minnesota-sired pacing events.
Datsyukian Deke was sent off as the heavy favourite in the $6,250 freshman ‘B’ pace and he did not disappoint his backers, delivering a sharp gate-to-wire score in 2:01 for his first lifetime win. Driver Luke Plano sent him right to the front of the field from post five in the six-horse contest and he opened up a commanding lead through fractions of :31.1, 1:02.3 and 1:31.3 before pacing home in :29.2 to hold off a late rally from Curvsreasyondaeyes (Dean Magee) with Fiffer Feffer Fef (Jacob Cutting) picking up third.
Datsyukian Deke ($3.00) is a gelded son of Vlos, owned by Rick Bertrand, Tom Hardenburgh and Vikki Pfeilsticker and is also trained by Bertrand.
Alilthundadownunda ($2.20) made it eight wins in a row with another sharp win in 1:54.4 to take the $15,000 Minnesota-sired sophomore ‘A’ pace, leading from just past the quarter pole and hanging on by a neck at the wire over a very fast closing SD Watch Me Now (Brian Detgen). Maze (Rick Magee) checked in third. The winner is a son of Malak Uswaad N, owned by Set The Pace Racing and trained and driven by Nick Roland. He has now won nine out of 10 local starts this season, and has bankrolled $66,285 this year and $100,324 lifetime.
Park With Me Nancy (Nick Roland, $2.40) delivered another big performance to make it three wins in a row in the $9,375 freshman filly pace. Roland got her away quickly from the gate from post five in the nine-horse affair to take the early lead, then yielded to Gold Star Snoball (Dean Magee) while Give Me This Dance (Luke Plano) sat in third. They remained in that order until the top of the lane, where Roland angled to the outside with the heavy favourite to surge clear and post a 1-1/4 length tally in 1:59 while stablemate Give Me This Dance rallied for second over Gold Star Snoball. The winner is a daughter of Wind Up, and she is now a perfect 3-for-3 at Running Aces for owners Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte and trainer Justin Anfinson.
The remainder of the racing program was cancelled after race four, after a severe thunderstorm with significant rainfall and severe lightening hit the area. Nick Roland had a driving double on the abbreviated four race card.
Live harness racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday (August 8) and will feature a carryover of $14,140.72 in the 20 cent Pick-5 jackpot wager, and a carryover of $1,047.55 in the 50 cent Hi-5 wager.
(Running Aces)